Written question asked by Lord Patten (Conservative) on Friday, 3 February 2023, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Friday, 17 February 2023. It was answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative) on Wednesday, 15 February 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Nigeria: Non-governmental Organisations

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the safety of British (1) aid workers, and (2) others, working within Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Nigeria.

Answer: The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Nigeria, particularly in the North East, has resulted in 8.3 million people requiring some form of humanitarian assistance. However, growing insecurity presents a high-risk environment for all aid workers as impediments to humanitarian access have increased. As enshrined in International Humanitarian Law, aid workers must never be a target of violence. Our aid programmes in Nigeria support partners to advise on safety and facilitate sustained and unhindered humanitarian access for aid workers, including through our funding for the UN Humanitarian Air Service and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Secondary information