The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Farhan Haq

  • UN condemns Borno suicide attacks

    UN condemns Borno suicide attacks

    The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, on Tuesday condemned Monday’s suicide attacks on two Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri, Borno State.

    A statement issued by Guterres deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, said the UN scribe expressed concern over the terror acts.

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Monday confirmed the death of four persons after suicide bombers attacked IDPs camps  in Maiduguri.

    The agency said 15 other IDPs were wounded when a male suicide bomber infiltrated one of the camps and detonated the explosive strapped to his body

    It said a female suicide bomber was shot by security men while trying to cross the perimeter fence of the second IDP camp.

    Guterres expressed concern that the attacks were targeted at people who had already fled their homes as a result of Boko Haram violence.

    The UN chief extended his condolences to the people and government of Nigeria for the loss of lives.

    He wished the wounded persons quick recovery and called for prosecution of those behind the attacks.

    NAN

     

  • UN pledges to avert worsening food crisis in North-East Nigeria

    UN pledges to avert worsening food crisis in North-East Nigeria

    The UN says it is doing everything possible to avert further deterioration of the food scarcity by victims of Boko Haram crisis in the North East.

    Mr Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, stated this at a press briefing on Monday in New York.

    According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, the food crisis in the northeast is going to deteriorate between now and the end of August, if there is no any action to prevent that.

    The deputy spokesman said “we have raised attention, as you know, including at the level of the Secretary‑General, to the food crisis there.

    “We have been trying to get humanitarian contributions to Nigeria.

    “As you know there are four countries – Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen and Somalia.

    “We have tried to get more assistance to areas in need so that there is no food crisis, and we will continue with that,” said.

    Haq said, however, that the UN had no specific deadline to get the funding for the food supplies in the northeast.

    “This is something that we and the various agencies of the UN system have been pursuing and will continue to pursue until the material conditions on the ground improve,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that U.S. President Donald Trump recently approved 121 million dollars in aid to feed people facing food crisis because of drought and conflict in Northeast.

    The fund was approved through the U.S. Agency for International Development and the project would be carried out by the World Food Programme.

  • UN condemns Boko Haram attacks in Borno

    The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has condemned this week’s attacks by suspected Boko Haram bombers in Maiduguri, Borno State.

    At least eight persons were reportedly killed in the attacks.

    The Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Farhan Haq, said the “UNOCHA is alarmed by the reported terrorist attacks on vulnerable displaced people in two locations in north-east Nigeria.”

    “While the number of dead and injured among civilians is not yet clear, Boko Haram reportedly launched a major attack using guns and explosives targeting the Custom House site that hosts more than 9,000 internally displaced people and the Muna Garage Park area where displaced people gathered to return to their homes.

    “These are not the first attacks affecting the most vulnerable people in the area.

    “The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reminds all parties to the conflict in Nigeria to ensure the safety and security of all civilian populations as required under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.”

     

  • UN to deliver food, nutrition supports to Borno, Yobe

    The United Nations said its agencies, the World Food Programme and UNICEF are increasing food and nutrition services to urgently reach 1.8 million people in Borno and Yobe States.

    Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, said at a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday that food insecurity had reached an extreme level in northeast.

    “in Nigeria, our colleagues from the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF are rolling out a rapid response mechanism to deliver food, health and nutrition services in difficult-to-reach areas in Borno and Yobe States,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the UN official as saying at the briefing.

    “The two states are worst affected by hunger and malnutrition in northeastern Nigeria.

    “This is part of WFP’s larger response plan – to gradually scale up to reach 1.8 million people with urgent food and nutrition support throughout 2017.”

    According to him, food insecurity has reached an extreme level in parts of northeastern Nigeria, where 4.6 million people are going hungry.

    “Without urgent support, hunger will only deepen.

    “Since August, the number of people needing urgent food assistance has increased from about 1 million to 1.8 million in Borno and Yobe States,” he said.

    Haq also said the Security Council was meeting on the cooperation between the UN and regional organisations, including the African Union.

    “The Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the African Union, Haile Menkerios, told the Council that the conflicts we face in Africa today have grown in scale and complexity,” he added.

     

  • Six minors, five women impregnated by UN peacekeepers

    Six minors, five women impregnated by UN peacekeepers

    Six minors were among 11 victims of alleged sexual abuse by Tanzanian United Nations {UN} peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that resulted in pregnancies, a UN spokesman has said.

    The allegations from the DRC came to light during the weekend as the UN had been embroiled in numerous reports of sexual abuse and exploitation by its peacekeepers over the last year.

    The sexual abuse and exploitation mainly involved troops in the Central African Republic.

    Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, confirmed the allegation.

    “We can confirm that out of the 11 allegedly abused women, six were minors.

    “Seven of the alleged victims have already given birth and four women are still pregnant,’’ Haq said.

    He said that Tanzania, which had the primary responsibility to respond to the allegations as the troop-contributing country, had appointed a team of investigators that would travel to DRC “in the coming days”.

  • UN investigating fresh CAR rape allegations

    The United Nations is investigating fresh allegations of sexual abuse in Central African Republic, where peacekeepers have been hit with numerous charges of sexual abuse over the past year, a UN spokesman said on Monday.

    “A team from the Republic of Congo arrived in the country to investigate recent allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse against their troops,” Reuters quoted Farhan Haq as saying to reporters.

    He offered no details on the allegations.

    Another UN official told Reuters that some of the new allegations involved minors.

    Earlier this month the UN peacekeeping mission for CAR said it had identified seven new cases of sexual abuse by its troops, including women and girls Human Rights Watch (HRW) said were raped or gang raped.

    The mission’s previous head, Babacar Gaye, resigned amid sexual abuse allegations by peacekeepers last August.