“For the love of humanity, yes”: Iliya’s commitment to communities in northeast Nigeria
“For the love of humanity, yes”: Iliya’s commitment to communities in northeast Nigeria
UNHCR Field Associate Iliya Ishira travels by helicopter to Banki, Borno State, to support displaced and returning communities. © UNHCR/Andrew Prior
Abuja, 19 August 2026 – Since joining UNHCR in 2019, Iliya has worked with displaced and returning communities in northeast Nigeria, uprooted from their homes by violent extremism, helping families access protection and solutions, including civil documentation, specialised services for children and survivors of violence, shelter, essential household items, and support for farming and vocational training.
Because of insecurity, reaching people in need often means travelling by helicopter. Every time Iliya Ishira boards one for Banki, a town in Borno State, northeast Nigeria, he knows he is heading to a place where UNHCR work is a lifeline for many and reaching people is neither easy nor safe.
One night in Banki brought the risks of humanitarian work painfully close to home. “I had just finished a call with my wife, telling her goodnight, when suddenly we started hearing bullets flying all around us. We had to rush to the bunker for safety.”
For the love of humanity
Iliya says he couldn’t sleep all night. He couldn’t bring himself to call his wife again, haunted by the thought that it might have been the last time he spoke to her, his mother or his brothers. Throughout the night, he kept asking himself: “Do I really want this? Do I really want to work in the humanitarian field, knowing that I could be killed?”
But he kept coming back to the same answer: “For the love of humanity, yes. I do.”
When morning came, his attention turned to the people around him. “Our main concern was the community and how we could help them in that moment.”
Despite what he experienced, Iliya continues to travel to Banki, working alongside displaced and returning communities as they rebuild their lives.
UNHCR Field Associate Iliya Ishira speaks with community members during a field visit to Banki, Borno State, northeast Nigeria.
A reason to keep going
Observed on 19 August, World Humanitarian Day honours humanitarian workers worldwide and recognises the communities they serve.
For Iliya, the day reflects something he experiences personally: humanitarian work can mean leaving family behind, travelling to hard-to-reach communities and continuing to serve even when the risks become personal.
For Iliya, seeing families gradually regain stability is reason enough to keep going.
"We aren't just delivering aid; we are witnessing the rebirth of communities that refused to be erased."
