Funding gap forces UN to end air service in Nigeria

Funding gap forces UN to end air service in Nigeria

The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) has halted its fixed-wing operations in Nigeria after running out of funds, cutting off a critical lifeline for aid workers in the country’s conflict-hit northeast.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed the development during a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York, noting that the service, operated by the World Food Programme (WFP), was grounded last week.

“For nine years, the service has transported humanitarian staff, medical supplies, and critical cargo to and from the epicentre of the crisis in Borno and Yobe states,” Dujarric said.

“In a country that has experienced unending conflict for the past 16 years, road transport remains extremely dangerous and air transport is essential.”

The suspension comes amid a worsening funding crisis that has already forced WFP to warn of possible cuts to emergency food and nutrition aid for 1.3 million people in northeast Nigeria.

WFP Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Margot van der Velden, said the agency urgently needs $130 million to keep food and nutrition programmes running for the next six months.

She warned that without support, millions of vulnerable Nigerians could face “increasingly severe hunger, forced migration, or exploitation by extremist groups.”

Despite the Nigerian government’s financial contributions—described by Velden as the largest in the northeast response—the shortfall persists. UNHAS alone requires $5.4 million to stay operational for six more months.

In 2024, the UN service transported over 9,000 passengers, and this year alone, 4,500 humanitarian staff depended on the flights to reach communities cut off by conflict.

“Without this funding, the humanitarian response in northeast Nigeria risks being cut off from the very people it is meant to serve,” Dujarric said.