Forværret sikkerhedssituation gør det ‘nærmest umuligt’ for FN at få fødevarebistand ud til landområderne i Somalia, skriver UN News Centre tirsdag.
MOGADISHU: Mounting “inhumane” attacks on humanitarian workers, as well as unacceptable demands made by armed groups, have made it “virtually impossible” for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to continue feeding up to one million hungry people in Somalia, the agency said today.
Escalating attacks against WFP’s humanitarian operations in southern Somalia have forced the agency to shut down some of its food distributions.
“WFP is deeply concerned about rising hunger and suffering among the most vulnerable due to these unprecedented and inhumane attacks on purely humanitarian operations,” it said in a statement.
“WFP is an impartial, non-political humanitarian agency that has been working in partnership with the people of Somalia for more than 40 years, providing assistance to the poorest of the poor throughout Somalia’s years of conflict and before,” the agency underscored. “The recent pressures on our work from armed groups in southern Somalia are impeding our humanitarian mandate.”
Staff safety is of paramount concern to WFP, and recent attacks, threats, harassment and demands for payments by armed groups have choked the humanitarian food lifeline.
In the rest of the Horn of Africa nation, which has not had a functioning government in nearly two decades, WFP continues to provide life-saving food supplies to over two-thirds of the people it has been targeting – or 1.8 million people.
“Even in good years, Somalia is only able to meet 40 per cent of the food needs of its population through internal production,” WFP – whose operation to reach all Somalis in need is fully funded for the coming months – pointed out.
– UN News Centre writes on Tuesday
