UN could halt humanitarian flights in Niger for lack of funding

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.

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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.

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.

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.