BEVERLY HILLS, February 16, (THEWILL) – The United Nations Security Council will be visiting Nigeria in March to discuss strategies for combating the Boko Haram insurgents and to assess the level of humanitarian crisis caused by the terror group.
This was disclosed by the Deputy Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, who confirmed to the NAN correspondent in New York that the visit would take place in March.
Haq regretted the negative consequences of the insurgency on the country and the people but gave the assurance that the UN would continue to support Nigeria in and work with the country in its efforts to overcome the challenges.
He said “and there will be efforts to also evaluate what the situation (Boko Haram) is.
“I believe, in the coming days, the Security Council itself does intend to visit Nigeria and see for itself the humanitarian situation and evaluate it first-hand.
“The Security Council will be going to Nigeria to assess the humanitarian situation caused by Boko Haram.
“The visit will be coming up in March.”
Haq also noted the recently reported attacks by Boko Haram on a village in Borno and killing of people.
According to him, the UN agencies and partners would continue to deliver aid and provide other humanitarian assistance to the victims of the insurgency in the north-east.
He, however, said the recent attack was making it more difficult for the organisations to effectively deliver aid in view of the recent breakthrough in reaching more victims following the successful recovery and liberation of territory previously under the control of Boko Haram.
“We (UN and partners) do continue to try to provide humanitarian aid, including in Nigeria,” he continued.
“Certainly, any violence on the ground makes it more difficult to deliver humanitarian aid.”
NAN gathered that besides visiting Nigeria and meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, the 15 council members would also visit other African countries that have been affected by Boko Haram including Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
NAN recalls that on May 22, 2014, the Security Council, at the request of the Federal Government, listed Boko Haram as a terror group.
The Council’s Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee approved the addition of Boko Haram to its list of individuals and entities subject to the targeted financial sanctions and the arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2083 (2012), adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the UN.
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