This archive report was first published on 29 October 2019.
October 29, 2019, marked a turning point for hundreds of thousands of displaced people in northeast Nigeria, as the Nigerian army shuttered the offices of humanitarian organizations Action Against Hunger (ACF) and Mercy Corps.
The closure, which occurred without warning, has left nearly 400,000 people without food and essential help for the last month, according to the United Nations.
"I don't know how I will survive with my children," said a mother of nine, who lives in a camp in Maiduguri, the city where she resides.
The Nigerian army accused ACF of "aiding and abetting terrorists and their atrocities" by supplying food and drugs to jihadist fighters, but the organization denied the charges.
"We must urgently and collectively reassert the fundamentals of humanitarian action, and to protect the right of any individual in need to receive assistance," said Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in a statement.
As the situation continues to deteriorate, aid workers on the ground insist that now is the time for additional support, not barriers, to tackle the humanitarian catastrophe.
"Today, the population of northeast Nigeria and humanitarian organizations seeking to care for them need more support than ever," said MSF.
For the displaced living hand-to-mouth around the conflict zone, the hope is that the authorities will allow the two aid groups to reopen soon.
