Displaced Somalis slam ban on WFP
2010-03-02 16:08
Mogadishu - Displaced Somali families on Tuesday decried an order by the hardline Shebab militia banning the UN food agency from the war-ravaged country, where millions are facing starvation.
The al-Qaeda-linked group on Sunday barred the World Food Programme (WFP) from operating in Somalia, saying it was distributing food past its expiry date and undermining farming, and warned local aid groups against working with the WFP.
"We used to get food aid from local NGOs that partner with WFP and we are very worried about the statement made by the Shebab," said Ali Nur Ahmed, a father of four living in a camp outside the capital Mogadishu.
"The impact will only be on the people in need like us. We know the feuding sides are not dependent on food aid and they can live their normal lives," he added.
Recurrent violence in the Horn of Africa state has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, leaving them dependent on relief aid while a prolonged drought last year put some three million people in need of emergency food aid.
The Shebab, which controls most of Somalia's south and central regions, last year imposed tough conditions for foreign aid groups operating in the areas under their control.
Future of the displaced
WFP announced in January that it was suspending its operations in southern Somalia, citing months of attacks and extortion by insurgents.
A local Somali official whose aid group worked with WFP said the Shebab's decision will worsen the suffering of thousands of aid-dependent people.
"We have been feeding more than 600 families a day and this situation comes amid dire need for humanitarian assistance," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"The Shebab statement means no more aid to the thousands who were forced to flee their homes... We are worried about the future of the displaced families."
The Rome-based organisation, which insisted its work in Somali was "impartial and non-political", said it would continue to distribute food to 1.8 million Somalis in other parts of Somalia, including Mogadishu, mostly under Shebab control.
Hasina Mohamed, a mother of seven, criticised the Shebab for failing to understand the plight of their displaced countrymen.
"We believe that those trying to stop the small food aid don't know how bad our situation is in those camps," she said.