Nigeria lifts suspension of two aid groups in North-East —minister

Published by

6 years ago

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq

Nigeria has temporarily lifted the suspension of the operations of two aid groups, Mercy Corps and Action Against Hunger, in the North East, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq said.

The army forced both groups to close some of their offices in September, accusing Action Against Hunger of aiding terrorist groups and alleging that a large amount of money in a car found in north eastern Borno State belonged to Mercy Corps.

Mercy Corps Country Director, Darius Radcliffe, issued a statement on Thursday, welcoming the government’s decision announced on Wednesday evening and saying the group would resume work as quickly as possible.

“After nearly five weeks without support, the vulnerable populations that we serve cannot afford to wait any longer, “he stated.

They told me that they wanted me to have children for them, so that the children can be brought up to become jihadists like them —Phoebe Musa

Action Against Hunger did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But it has previously rejected the accusation of “aiding and abetting” a terrorist organisation – an allusion to an Islamist insurgency in the North-East.

Farouq stated during a news conference held in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja that the concerns raised by the army would “continue to receive attention and scrutiny” and that the government would take new steps to vet and monitor all humanitarian groups working in the region.

The measures, he said will include requiring non-governmental organisations to register and be vetted by the government before they can start work and to submit monthly reports that include the amount and source of their fund-raising and the number of people they assist.

New rules will also dictate where NGOs purchase fuel and other “sensitive” items and how they can transfer cash.

A decade-long insurgency by Islamist militant group Boko Haram has terrorised the North-East, killing some 30,000 people and forcing two million to flee their homes. In 2016, Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) split off from Boko Haram and has launched its own attacks in the region.

Nigerian Tribune