UN suspends humanitarian services following attack

The United Nations has suspended its humanitarian assistance mission in the north eastern part of the country following an attack by unknown assailants on  a humanitarian convoy that included staff from  United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF),  United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA)  and  International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

The convoy was travelling from Bama to Maiduguri in Borno State, Nigeria, returning from delivering desperately needed humanitarian assistance.

In a statement, UNICEF  confirmed  that a UNICEF employee and an IOM contractor were injured in the attack and are being treated at a local hospital.

All other UNICEF, IOM and UNFPA staff members are safe.

The statement added that the convoy was in a remote area of northeastern Nigeria, where protracted conflict has caused extreme suffering and has triggered a severe malnutrition crisis.
“ This was not only an attack on humanitarian workers. It is an attack on the people who most need the assistance and aid that these workers were bringing.’’

It says the UN has temporarily suspended humanitarian assistance missions pending review of the security situation.