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Nigeria warned it risks humanitarian disaster by expelling charities
Source: The Guardian
Nigeria warned it risks humanitarian disaster by expelling charities
Aid agencies strongly deny Nigeria’s claims they are diverting funds to Boko Haram
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor
Sun 29 Sep 2019 16.16 BST
Last modified on Sun 29 Sep 2019 19.45 BST
Nigeria has been warned it risks a humanitarian disaster if the government goes ahead with its threat to throw aid agencies out of the north-east of the country, claiming they are in league with extremist Islamic groups.
A spate of aid offices have been forcibly shut after unproven claims they have been acting as conduits for cash that has ended up with Boko Haram, or Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap).
The Nigerian army is stepping up its 10-year effort to drive out extremists and claims that despite several warnings, agencies continue to provide aid to terrorist groups.
Two aid agencies have had offices closed in the past few days, and there are fears in the charity sector that Nigeria is targeting as many as 10 independent humanitarian organisations. Talks are under way to try to defuse the breakdown in relations, and the charities say they often avoid transporting cash by road to avoid the risk of seizure.
The reprisals came at the same time as the execution of a kidnapped Nigerian aid worker last Wednesday by extremists. The charity worker was among six aid workers employed by the Paris-based charity Action Against Hunger captured in July by Boko Haram during an ambush on a convoy close to the border with Niger.
-snip-
Aid agencies strongly deny Nigeria’s claims they are diverting funds to Boko Haram
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor
Sun 29 Sep 2019 16.16 BST
Last modified on Sun 29 Sep 2019 19.45 BST
Nigeria has been warned it risks a humanitarian disaster if the government goes ahead with its threat to throw aid agencies out of the north-east of the country, claiming they are in league with extremist Islamic groups.
A spate of aid offices have been forcibly shut after unproven claims they have been acting as conduits for cash that has ended up with Boko Haram, or Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap).
The Nigerian army is stepping up its 10-year effort to drive out extremists and claims that despite several warnings, agencies continue to provide aid to terrorist groups.
Two aid agencies have had offices closed in the past few days, and there are fears in the charity sector that Nigeria is targeting as many as 10 independent humanitarian organisations. Talks are under way to try to defuse the breakdown in relations, and the charities say they often avoid transporting cash by road to avoid the risk of seizure.
The reprisals came at the same time as the execution of a kidnapped Nigerian aid worker last Wednesday by extremists. The charity worker was among six aid workers employed by the Paris-based charity Action Against Hunger captured in July by Boko Haram during an ambush on a convoy close to the border with Niger.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/29/nigeria-warned-it-risks-humanitarian-disaster-by-expelling-charities