UN condemns Damboa attack

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria Myrta Kaulard, has condemned the twin suicide attacks on 16 June in the town of Damboa, Borno State, north-east Nigeria, that have left dozens of people dead and scores injured in one of the deadliest attacks the town has witnessed.

“Our deepest condolences go to the families of the victims in Damboa and to the Government and people of Nigeria. We wish the injured a speedy recovery,” said Ms. Kaulard. “Civilians consistently bear the brunt of the conflict and over 200 women, children and men have now been killed in indiscriminate attacks in the north-east since the beginning of the year, including in the town of Mubi last month in Adamawa State. I urge the Government of Nigeria to further step up protection of people.”

The United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross yesterday air-lifted by helicopter 11 of the critically wounded from Damboa to Maiduguri to facilitate emergency medical treatment, in support of the state authorities.

Damboa town lies about 90 kilometers south-west of Borno capital Maiduguri. The Local Government Authority of Damboa currently hosts over 90,000 internally displaced people, 18,000 of which live in Damboa town in five camps for internally displaced people. The LGA is one of the areas in Borno that hosts the highest number of internally displaced people.

Some 20 humanitarian organisations provide life-saving assistance to the vulnerable women, children and men in Damboa, including food, shelter, medical services, clean water and sanitation on a daily basis. The town last witnessed an attack by a non-state armed group in July 2016.

The town was also taken over by a non-state armed group in mid-2014 and subsequently recaptured by the Nigerian military a few months later. Humanitarian access outside of Damboa town in the rest of Damboa Local Government Area remains limited due to ongoing hostilities and lack of safety assurances.

The humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s north-east, that has spilled over into the Lake Chad region, is one of the most severe in the world today, with 7.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2018 in the worst-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, and 6.1 million targeted for humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian aid includes the delivery of life-saving assistance and also supports people to kickstart their lives.