THE United Nations says efforts are on to ensure that the suspension placed on two Non Governmental Organizations, Action Against Hunger (AAH) and Mercy Corps working in the North East Nigeria is lifted very soon.
“I have received assurances from the relevant authorities that the suspension of the activities of Mercy Corps and Action Against Hunger announced in September will be lifted in the Next few days,” UN Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, made this know in a statement on humanitarian situation in Borno State.
The Nigerian Army in September suspended Action Against Hunger and Mercy Corps over allegation of aiding and abetting Boko Haram in North Eastern part of the country after reporting that they had given several warnings to them.
Lowcock explained that the development should allow an immediate resumption of life-saving assistance to nearly 400,000 people who have been without food and other essential help for the last month.
He further disclosed that the government also plans in the next fortnight to bring together all relevant stakeholders, including the UN and NGOs to discuss the shared challenges in Borno State.
“I greatly welcome all this enhanced dialogue between the Government and the international community, including international NGOs in pursuit of the shared goals of bringing peace, promoting recovery, assisting and protecting innocent civilians in the North-East who have been the main victims of the conflict is everyone’s interest,” he reiterated.
Speaking on his visit to Nigeria, Lowcock stated he was glad to have had the opportunity to review the situation with senior figures in the Nigerian government, with the military and other authorities in Borno, with international, national and local NGOs and others.
Lowcock said that with everyone he met during his visit, he was convinced that NGOs, through their rich network and capacity to reach people and their expertise and experience in operating at the community level have a very important role to play.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94