U.N Suspends Air Service In Nigeria Over Lack Of Funding

The United Nations has suspended a key humanitarian air service in northeast Nigeria after running out of funds, raising fears that aid operations in the region could grind to a halt.

The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), managed by the World Food Programme (WFP), stopped its fixed-wing flights last week after nearly ten years of transporting aid workers, medical supplies, and cargo into hard-to-reach conflict areas.

According to UN figures, more than 9,000 passengers used the service in 2024, while about 4,500 aid workers have depended on it so far this year.

In a statement, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, said the agency needs $5.4 million to keep the service running for the next six months.

“In 2024, UNHAS fixed-wing flights carried more than 9,000 passengers. Already this year, 4,500 humanitarian staff have relied on the service to reach affected areas.

“UNHAS cannot continue without funding: $5.4 million is needed to remain operational for the next six months. Without this funding, the humanitarian response in north-east Nigeria risks being cut off from the very people it is meant to serve. 

“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.

“In a country that has experienced 16 years of conflict, where road transport remains extremely dangerous, air transport is essential,” Dujarric told reporters

The shutdown highlights the growing strain on relief efforts in Nigeria as global donor support declines.

WFP had already warned in July that it might suspend emergency food and nutrition support for 1.3 million people in the northeast if funding gaps persisted.

Margot van der Velden, WFP’s regional director for West and Central Africa, explained that while the Nigerian government has provided strong backing and is now the biggest contributor to local emergency efforts, international support remains vital.

The UN warned that the suspension could have dire consequences.

The humanitarian response in northeast Nigeria risks being cut off from the very people it is meant to serve,”Dujarric said, stressing that unless donors step in, critical aid pipelines will collapse.

“Without air links, humanitarian workers lose safe access to remote conflict-affected communities, where millions are already grappling with hunger, displacement, and violence.”

Families in remote areas may be forced into extreme situations—facing deeper hunger, moving in unsafe conditions, or becoming more vulnerable to extremist groups exploiting the crisis.

For over 16 years, insurgency has left the northeast unstable, making road travel extremely dangerous and air access essential.

The UN stressed that the collapse of the air link risks cutting off aid at the very moment people need it most.

The crisis in Nigeria comes as humanitarian agencies worldwide are grappling with shrinking donor budgets and competing emergencies from Gaza to Sudan to Ukraine.

“For Nigeria’s northeast, where insurgency and instability have already displaced millions, the loss of a vital air bridge may further isolate vulnerable populations at a time when they can least afford it,” the statement added.

KanyiDaily recalls that the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) had warned that 250 million Nigerians would fall into poverty if the Federal Government of Nigeria fails to act.