The United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, has called for improved protection for aid workers who save lives in the country.

Similarly, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on the federal and Borno State governments to intensify efforts to rescue the 78 schoolchildren abducted in Mussa and Lassa communities of Askira/Uba Local Council Area.

UNICEF Deputy Representative in Nigeria, Dr Rownak Khan, made the call yesterday in Maiduguri during a media briefing with the UN Humanitarian Coordinator and other agency heads to commemorate the 2026 World Humanitarian Day.

Also speaking at the forum, as the UN Flag was flown at half-mast in Abuja and Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, in honour of the humanitarian personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty, Fall stated that “while humanitarian needs are growing, we must act to protect aid workers who truly save lives.

“As the UN Secretary-General has reminded us in his message for today, ‘humanitarian workers stand up for people in need. We must stand up for them.’”

He noted that in Nigeria, many humanitarian workers have made the ultimate sacrifice, with the 23 people killed in the UN House bombing in Abuja in August 2011 comprising mainly staff members, while others were partners who had come for meetings and other activities.

“Since 2018, 17 humanitarian workers have been killed in northeast Nigeria, and many others were abducted,” Fall said.

Among other similar incidents, he added that so far in 2026, 82 humanitarian workers have been killed around the world, 39 kidnapped, and 97 wounded, with the most dangerous humanitarian contexts being Gaza and Sudan

“In remembrance of this tragic event and all other situations that claim the lives of humanitarian workers, the UN General Assembly in 2008 designated August 19 to be observed annually as World Humanitarian Day.”

In the meantime, Khan described schools as safe places where children should be able to learn and grow in their communities, adding that UNICEF had been working with the state government to ensure that safe-school protocols were implemented.

However, “at the end of the day, they are Nigerian children, so it is the ultimate responsibility of the government of Nigeria to make sure that, first, they are not abducted, and secondly, put all the effort to release those children to their families,” Khan added.