The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has listed Nigeria and nine other countries as countries to be affected as it will cut 20% of its staff due to a shortfall of $58 million.

The U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher revealed this as he briefed staff after OCHA’s largest donor – the United States – cut funding.

“OCHA currently has a workforce of around 2,600 staff in over 60 countries. The funding shortfall means we are looking to regroup to an organization of around 2,100 staff in fewer locations,” Fletcher wrote in a note to staff on Thursday, as reported by Reuters.

OCHA works to mobilise aid, share information, support aid efforts, and advocate for those in need during a crisis. It relies heavily on voluntary contributions.

“The U.S. alone has been the largest humanitarian donor for decades, and the biggest contributor to OCHA’s programme budget,” Fletcher said, noting that its annual contribution of $63 million would have accounted for 20% of OCHA’s extrabudgetary resources in 2025.

Since returning to office in January for a second term, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has slashed billions of dollars in foreign assistance in a review that aimed to ensure programs align with his “America First” foreign policy.

Fletcher said OCHA would “focus more of our resources in the countries where we work,” but would work in fewer places.

“OCHA will scale back our presence and operations in Cameroon, Colombia, Eritrea, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Gaziantep (in Turkey) and Zimbabwe,” Fletcher said.

“As we all know, these exercises are driven by funding cuts announced by Member States and not by a reduction of needs,” he said. “Humanitarian needs are on the rise and have perhaps never been higher, driven by conflicts, climate crises, disease, and the lack of respect of international humanitarian law.”

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last month announced a new initiative to improve efficiency and cut costs as the world body turns 80 this year amid a cash crisis.

The explosion followed an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Boko Haram terrorists on the dilapidated and deserted road which passes through the Sambisa forest.

According to several sources, the explosion happened while cars on a scheduled military-escorted convoy were transporting passengers from Damboa to Maiduguri on Saturday leaving several others with varying degrees of injuries.

The Maiduguri-Damboa Road links Maiduguri to several local government areas in Southern Borno and has been a hotspot for Boko Haram terrorists for over a decade.

The road was closed to vehicles and commuters until the administration of Babagana Zulum opened the road for passengers to travel to Damboa, Chibok and other LGAs in southern Borno with the help of a military convoy serving as security cover for the commuters.

The convoy traverses the road two times a week after scanning for IED by the military and this has been going on for over two years now.

The injured persons whose numbers are yet to be specified have been conveyed to a hospital in Maiduguri for prompt medical attention.