Nigeria introduces airdrop of foods for terror victims

By Olarewaju Kola

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AA) – Nigeria’s government on Sunday announced to deliver aid by air to civilians in remote communities northeast of the country as they are not accessible by road due to terror attacks or difficult terrains.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Sadiya Farouq said the Nigeria Air Force will drop foods and other relief items to several civilians.

"There have been issues of inaccessible areas where humanitarian workers cannot reach the people," she told reporters in Maiduguri, the capital city of northeastern Borno state, during the demonstration of the airdrop of foods by Nigerian Air Force.

Farouq said the government would take statistics of the hard-to-reach communities and civilian population to ensure proper airdrops of the relief.

"We are going to follow it up with air surveillance," the minister promised.

About 3 million people have been displaced in over a decade of Boko Haram terror activities in the regions. Scores of civilians are still trapped in remote communities unable to flee due to insecurity on the roads.