Foreign News
UN calls for more support to tackle humanitarian crisis in North East
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The United Nations (UN) has renewed its call for more interventions to address the nagging humanitarian crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.
The call was contained in a statement issued in Maiduguri by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA).
The UN said a team of senior officials had conducted a five-day assessment tour of Borno state and visited Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps in Damboa, Dikwa, Maiduguri and Rann.
It said the team observed that the humanitarian crisis in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe needed renewed support to face the recent upsurge in violence and growing humanitarian needs.
The UN quoted Mr Vincent Houver of the International Organization for Migration (IMO) as saying that “the crisis in the Lake Chad Region is far from over. The humanitarian community cannot spare any effort at this time.
“This week, we met women, children and men who were forced to flee multiple times and urgently need protection and assistance to survive and rebuild their lives. We cannot let them down.”
According to the UN agency, more than 134,000 persons had been displaced since January due to upsurge in violence and military counter-operations in the sub region.
It revealed that about 7.1 million people needed lifesaving assistance, including food, nutrition and healthcare interventions, while about three million others, including one million children, were vulnerable to food insecurity and malnutrition.
UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon, disclosed that aid agencies had scaled up humanitarian response to address the situation.
“Aid agencies have significantly scaled up and reached some two million people with aid this year.
“However; much more supports are urgently needed. We are worried about the tens of thousands of people who have recently fled due to rising violence and are still sleeping outside in the open.
“With the rainy season progressing, they will face increased risk of diseases and will need immediate protection,” Kallon said.
The UN also quoted Mr Christian Gad of the Danish Refugee Council as adding that “some of the people we met have been living in IDP camps for several years.
“All actors, including government and the private sector in Nigeria, need to join forces to help those affected by the crisis to recover in dignity and restart their lives.”
It explained that the UN and its partners have appealed for 848 million dollars to enable it to provide urgent life-saving assistance to 6.2 million people in 2019, adding that the response plan was so far 32.6 per cent funded.
It stressed that more funding was urgently needed to sustain the humanitarian response.
During the visit, the team met with the officials of Borno Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Gov. Babagana Zulum, a wide range of UN agencies and humanitarian organisations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of the team included Ms Reena Ghelani, Director, Operations and Advocacy Division (UN-OCHA) and Ms Sheila Grudem, Deputy Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response Support Division, World Food Programme (WFP).
Others were Mr Christian Gad, Head, Emergencies, Danish Refugee Council, Mr Vincent Houver, Deputy Director, Department of Operations and Emergencies, IMO and Mr José Barahona, Director, Emergency Response, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
Mr Andrew Mbogori, Principal Emergency Coordinator, Division of Emergency Services, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Dr Renee Van de Weerdt, Acting Director, Emergency Operations, World Health Organisation (WHO) were also part of the team.
Foreign News
At Least 5 Dead in Fresh Russian Attacks on Ukraine
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Russia has attacked Ukraine for the second consecutive night with heavy airstrikes involving various weapon types, initial reports from Ukrainian authorities said on Monday morning.At least five people were killed, two due to a rocket strike on a hotel in Kryvyi Rih and three others due to drone attacks on Zaporizhzhya, they said.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the Russian army once again used long-range bombers, launching cruise missiles. Hypersonic missiles of the Kinzhal (Dagger) type were also fired.The attacks were primarily aimed at Ukraine’s energy system, analysts observed.On Monday, Russia launched an attack on Ukraine involving 127 missiles and cruise missiles, along with over 100 combat drones.This was the highest number reported by the Ukrainian military in two and a half years of conflict. (dpa/NAN)Foreign News
Electricity Consumers Laud Jos Disco for Exceptional Service in Benue
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From Attah Ede, Makurdi
A broad spectrum of electricity customers in Benue State yesterday, commended Jos Electricity Distribution Plc for delivering consistent, stable and reliable services in the region.They gave the commendation during a radio interactive program on Brothers FM and monitored by our correspondent, heralding the launch of a customer consultative forum in Gboko, the traditional capital of the Tiv nation.
His Royal Highness, Ikpa Ahua, representing the paramount ruler of Gboko, led the commendations. He praised the company’s significant improvement in electricity supply over the past few months, noting its positive impact on local businesses.Ahua also appreciated the company’s metering policy, which has increased access to prepaid meters for customers.He however lamented the frequent cases of vandalism of electricity installations and pledged to intensify efforts to safeguard these facilities.Other dignitaries, including Prince Makir Zakpe, Kindred head of Gboko South, Zaki Amachi Terkimbi and Zaki Linus, also commended the company’s efficient service.In his opening remarks, Pastor Emma Ameh who represented the Managing Director, Engr Abdu Bello Mohammed, urged customers to settle their energy bills promptly, given the improvements in service delivery.He emphasized the need for customers to fulfill their obligations to enable the company to continue meeting its energy delivery mandate.Presentations by Lucky Akpobi, Head of Customer Complaints and Relationship Management, and Comrade Ojochide Matthew Agbata, Regional Manager of Makurdi, highlighted the benefits of prepaid meters in resolving billing disputes.Head, Corporate Communications, Dr. Friday Adakole Elijah, emphasized the importance of vigilance in combating energy theft and vandalism, urging customers to report suspicious activities to the company or law enforcement agencies.Foreign News
2 Pilots Killed in France as Military Jets Crash Mid-flight
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Two French pilots died when their military jets collided mid-flight in eastern France, the nation’s Air Force said in a post on X.
The two Rafale fighter jets were returning from a mission in Germany when they collided near Colombey-les-Belles, close to the city of Nancy, Wednesday’s post said.
A third pilot ejected safely and was quickly found, unharmed, the post said.
French President, Emmanuel Macron, expressed the country’s condolences to the families of the two pilots.
The aircraft were stationed in Saint-Dizier, in eastern France.
No details were initially provided regarding the cause of the accident. (dpa/NAN)