Humanitarian aid deliveries to Niger will resume as the military government lifted flight restrictions, the UN said on Tuesday.
"According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the national aviation authorities in Niger have informed the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) that flight restrictions are now lifted for domestic operations, and that services can resume as of tomorrow," the UN stated.
UNHAS is estimated to be able to deliver almost 2.4 metric tons of humanitarian cargo monthly uninterruptedly and safely once its domestic services resume.
In addition, UNHAS will also provide critical medical and security evacuations for humanitarian personnel.
Aircraft refueling, however, still remains a problem, the UN noted, without providing any details.
Earlier in August, the UN said that its agencies would continue aid delivery despite the recent coup d'état and the rainy season by working with de facto authorities.
However, not all countries and organizations adhered to the same humanitarian principles. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the EU and the US decided to suspend aid to the West African country, including military, financial, food and medical aid. Electricity was also cut off as part of these sanctions.
In late July, a coup took place in Niger, during which President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown, and a military government took the reins. The leader of the military government suggested a three-year handover of power and issued a warning that any attack on the nation would "not be a walk in the park" for those participating.
Speaking to Sputnik Africa last month, Dr. Lawrence Awuku-Boateng, President of the Ghana-Russia Business Development Council, said that the sanctions placed on post-coup Niger will unavoidably have detrimental effects on other nations in the region, leading to socio-economic disruptions and thereby aggravating pre-existing vulnerabilities.
According to the UN, about 4.3 million people in Niger require humanitarian help. Moreover, there was a 14 percent increase in those needing assistance due to population movements in some southern, southeastern, western and central regions of the country.