Int. NGO commends Foreign Affairs Ministry for evacuation of Nigerian from Gaza

An international NGO, Mercy Corps, has commended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for facilitating the swift and safe passage of a Nigerian from war-torn Gaza.

Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yussuf Tuggar, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said Mr. Tjada'D'Oyen McKenna, Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, thanked Tuggar in an appreciation letter for his prompt and professional response to the distress call that enabled the extraction of Mr. Joel Onyeke, who is a senior member of the NGO.

“We want to thank you sincerely for your attention and swift action after our recent request for your advocacy and assistance in facilitating the safe passage of our team member, Mr. Joel Onyeke, out of Gaza.

“After three harrowing weeks in a United Nations Development Programme bunker, on November 1st, Onyeke safely crossed the Rafah border crossing from Gaza into Egypt, and by November 3rd, he was reunited with his family in Abuja.”

According to the NGO, Onyeke, a cash advisor with Mercy Corps, was the only foreign national team member employed in Gaza.

Mercy Corps also thanked the Federal Government for the support while stressing the need for a humanitarian corridor for aid delivery to Gaza as well as for the safe passage of foreign nationals out of Gaza.

“There is more work to be done to ensure the safety of all citizens in Palestine and Israel.

“We are hopeful for an end to these crises soon so that communities can begin to rebuild and humanitarian actors can continue to work for a stronger and more inclusive economy,” he said.