At least three local government areas in
Nigeria are still cut off due to the presence of Boko Haram insurgents,
the United Nations has said.
The claim is coming weeks after the
military command in northeast Nigeria announced that no part of Borno
state was under the control of the deadly group.
But the UN said
despite efforts by the military, some locations in Borno state,
including three whole local government areas, remained inaccessible to
aid workers as a result of the threat posed by the Boko Haram sect.
The
report was issued by the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian (OCHA). It said Boko Haram hostilities that slowed down
due to the rainy season might increase in the coming months. “Insecurity,
presence of mines, improvised explosive devices, and unexploded
ordinances had continued to slow down the response of humanitarian
agencies in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states” said OCHA’s monthly report
for September 2017, titled, “North-East Nigeria: Humanitarian Situation
Update”. “Most roads to the south, south-west and east remain
unusable due to security concerns and most humanitarian personnel
movement is done through air assets. Cargo, however, is being
transported via road with armed escorts as a last resort.”
The UN
agency added that, “No humanitarian aid is currently reaching locations
in these LGAs outside of the LGAs’ main towns called ‘headquarters’.
Major humanitarian supply routes towards the west, north-west and north
are open for humanitarians without the use of armed escorts. Following
advocacy efforts, Konduga and Mafa are now also accessible to aid groups
without military escorts.” The UN said it was battling with paucity
of funds due to the failure of donors worldwide to fully meet their
financial commitment towards the North-east. The director of Army
Public Relations, Sani Usman, told journalists the Army would not
Immediately comment on the report until it studied its details.
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