UN condemns attack on Belle village

The United Nations has condemned Sunday’s attack in Belle village on the outskirts of Borno State, which killed 34 civilians and injured 90 others.

UN deputy humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Yassine Gaba, said recent weeks have seen a steady continuation of attacks on civilians in the three most conflict-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, in the northeast of Nigeria.

“Innocent civilians continue to suffer daily from direct and indiscriminate attacks in the northeast of Nigeria,” said Gaba in a statement.

“Endless numbers of explosions, brutal killings, abductions and lootings continue to uproot the lives of women, children and men daily. I call on all parties to the conflict to end this violence and to respect human life and dignity.”

At least 120 civilians have been killed and over 210 seriously injured in more than 22 attacks this year alone by insurgents.

In February, insurgents abducted 110 girls from their school in Dapchi, Yobe State.

The protection of civilians is a major focus of the ongoing humanitarian response in the northeast, where 7.7 million people remained in dire need of humanitarian assistance, including food, shelter, water and health care, in the most conflict-affected states, the UN office said.

Women, children and men face daily grave human rights violations and sexual and gender-based violence.

Since the start of the conflict in 2009, more than 20,000 people have been killed, thousands of girls, women, boys and men have been abducted and children continue to be used routinely as so-called “suicide” bombers.