The United Nations has shut down a vital air transport service in northeastern Nigeria due to severe funding shortages, threatening the delivery of humanitarian aid to millions affected by conflict, hunger, and displacement.
The U.N. Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), operated by the World Food Programme (WFP), ended its fixed-wing flight operations last week after nearly a decade of transporting aid workers and critical supplies into some of the country’s most dangerous and remote areas.
“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,” the UN said.
The service, long considered a lifeline for humanitarian workers in conflict-affected Borno and Yobe states, can no longer continue operating without urgent donor support. The World Food Programme says it requires $5.4 million to keep the air service running for the next six months.
“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.”
U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, announcing the closure in New York on Wednesday, warned of grave consequences.
“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,” Dujarric told reporters.
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“In a country that has experienced 16 years of conflict, where road transport remains extremely dangerous, air transport is essential.”
“The humanitarian response in northeast Nigeria risks being cut off from the very people it is meant to serve,” he added, stressing that unless donors step in, critical aid pipelines will collapse.
The announcement underscores the broader strain on global relief efforts as funding dries up and humanitarian needs soar worldwide.
In July, WFP warned it might be forced to suspend emergency food and nutrition assistance for 1.3 million people in the region—further worsening an already dire situation.
The agency reiterated that without urgent financial support, food and nutrition programs in northeastern Nigeria may also grind to a halt.
“Margot van der Velden, WFP’s regional director for West and Central Africa, told reporters in New York that the agency urgently requires $5.4 million to sustain food and nutrition operations in the region for just six months.”
Despite the Nigerian government’s increasing role in funding emergency relief—now the largest national contributor—the UN emphasized that international support remains crucial to maintaining the scale and reach of operations.
“Although the Nigerian government has provided significant support to relief efforts in the northeast, and is now the largest financier of the emergency response, the UN said international contributions remain crucial to sustaining operations at scale.”
The UN warned that halting air services could leave entire communities without access to life-saving assistance.
“Without air links, humanitarian workers lose safe access to remote conflict-affected communities, where millions are already grappling with hunger, displacement, and violence.”
The potential human cost is severe. Isolated and desperate, families may face horrific choices in the absence of humanitarian support.
“It added that families may be forced into desperate choices such as enduring worsening hunger, migrating in unsafe conditions, or falling prey to extremist groups that continue to exploit vulnerabilities in the region.”
The crisis in northeast Nigeria is part of a wider pattern of underfunded humanitarian emergencies around the world. Global donor fatigue, inflation, and multiple high-profile crises—from Gaza to Sudan to Ukraine—have strained available resources.
“The U.N. appeal comes as humanitarian agencies worldwide confront shrinking donor budgets, driven by global economic pressures and competing crises from Gaza to Sudan to Ukraine.”
The UN’s final appeal highlights what is at stake:
“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.
With millions already living on the edge, aid officials warn that failure to restore the air service could further unravel humanitarian operations in one of the world’s most complex and long-running emergencies.