By The Emergency Telecommunications Sector (ETS) is facing financial constraints in expanding internet access and security communications services for humanitarians responding to Islamist terror in northeast Nigeria.
Only 28 percent of the $1.6 million required by the ETS this year has been secured.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has contributed $280,000, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) advanced $50,000.
“In the face of funding challenges, the ETS is working with its host agency, the WFP, to explore funding possibilities to continue its operation,” stated Patrick Midy, ETS Coordinator, from Maiduguri.
Maiduguri is the capital of the north-eastern state of Borno, which has been the heart of an Islamist insurgency led by Boko Haram.
The ETS continues to provide security communications services in 10 common operations regions throughout north-eastern Nigeria.
It intends to extend that number to 12, subject to funding.
ETS Very High Frequency (VHF) radio services are used by 1,628 humanitarian workers from 16 United Nations (UN) agencies and 36 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for field safety and security.
In April, ETS connected 1, 070 users from 104 organisations, including 15 UN agencies and 89 NGOs.
Boko Haram and Islamic State-West Africa have been committing acts of violence in northeast Nigeria. Militants are also destabilising the Northwest.
“Pockets of conflict from armed groups in the northeast and northwest of the country continue to be major factors that contribute to instability and may affect ETS mobility,” Midy said.
ITweb
