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01/17/2020

ALIMA rejoices the release of abducted staff in Nigeria

ALIMA (The Alliance for International Medical Action) rejoices the release of two of our employees, on January 15, 2020, who were working within our medical aid project in Monguno in Borno state, in northeastern Nigeria. They were abducted on December 22, 2019. Knowing that they are freed and safe with their families is an immense joy for all ALIMA staff, in Nigeria and our other countries of intervention.

Since their abduction, ALIMA has been strongly mobilizing to continuously advocate with the various federal and local authorities, both civilian and military, to work for their release, as well as for other humanitarian workers still detained. We thank them for their support and for facilitating this happy outcome.

This event is a reminder of the ongoing challenges for humanitarian teams in northeastern Nigeria. Security conditions are becoming increasingly difficult and endanger health care access to very vulnerable populations, particularly in the town of Monguno, which is hosting nearly 150,000 displaced people. As a result, we fear that the deployment of humanitarian assistance will be jeopardized in the near future if the situation remains unchanged.

We thank the media in advance for their respect of the recently released people who now need their rest and privacy.

*Cover photo: Sylvain Cherkaoui / ALIMA