MSF Pulls Out Non-Essential Staff From Zamfara Community After Militia Attack

Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF), an international aid group, has confirmed the evacuation of some of its staff from the northwest region of Nigeria due to escalating clashes between armed groups and the army.

The agency made this announcement on Friday, highlighting the challenges faced by humanitarian organizations operating in the country’s northwest.

The increasing violence in Zamfara State prompted MSF to withdraw part of its staff from Zurmi town, where clashes erupted in proximity to the local hospital. The agency stated that due to significant security risks, its medical teams on the ground had to evacuate a portion of their staff, impacting their operational capacity.

According to a spokesperson, six non-essential international staff members were evacuated, while other international and national personnel remained in place. Zamfara State officials and police did not immediately provide details on the situation.

Governor Dauda Lawal expressed concern about recent bandit attacks in Zurmi, Maru, and Tsafe districts of Zamfara via social media platforms. Reports from Nigerian media indicated clashes in Zurmi district after an armed militia assaulted the local government headquarters, prompting a response from troops.

“Some of the patients refuse to leave the hospital out of fear,” said Adjide Hermann, MSF’s deputy field coordinator in Zurmi, highlighting the impact of the violence on healthcare services. “We had no choice but to reduce part of our team.”

Zamfara State is among several northwestern states grappling with banditry, originating from conflicts over land between nomadic herders and pastoral farmers, which has evolved into broader violence.

While numerous international aid groups operate in northeast Nigeria, where a prolonged jihadist conflict has displaced over 2 million people since 2009, the presence of aid organizations is comparatively limited in the northwest and northcentral regions of Nigeria, despite significant displacement due to violence.