THE UN and the World Food Programme on Friday warned that a lack of funding could lead to the imminent suspension of humanitarian flights in coup-hit Niger, where 4.3 million people are in need of aid.
The international organisation had in mid-November announced the resumption of its humanitarian flights after they were suspended following a coup on July 26 which saw the military oust elected leader Mohamed Bazoum.
Read also: Kenya Cult Leader Who Told Parents To Starve Children Guilty Of 191 Murders
The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) could be suspended imminently due to a lack of funding, the UN’s humanitarian response agency OCHA and the WFP said in a joint statement.
It added that the 2024 budget of UNHAS — which is managed by the AFP — stood at $13.5 million but there was no guarantee of funding to date, even though half this amount was urgently needed.
Read also: Sudan Army Drones Hit Mourners And Fuel Market Killing More Than 300 People
WFP’s representative and country director in Niger, Jean-Noel Gentile, said the UNHAS’s financial situation had already forced it to reduce its fleet to a single aircraft, down from the existing two.
He said the move was designed to immediately reduce operational costs and stressed that without urgent additional funding, the entire UNHAS service would have to be suspended from February 2024.
Read also: 160 People Killed In Escalating Drone Attacks Across Sudan
Niger’s military leaders in October ordered the expulsion of Louise Aubin, the UN’s resident and humanitarian coordinator.
The country has been subject to heavy economic sanctions by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) since the July coup.
