Monday, November 21, 2011

Humanitarian situations in Somalia might get worse because of corruption and Aid looting

A senior UN aid worker in Somalia who did not wish to be named says humanitarian situations in Somalia might get worse because of corruption within the UN aid agencies. He said the UN would not admit this because it has to show the aid money was being well spent and having an impact.

Oxfam’s country director for Somalia a British aid agency said concerned conflicts were jeopardizing the aid effort. The famine is likely to linger in several areas of Somalia for the rest of the year if these conflicts are not resolved.
“Insecurity is already disrupting the supply of aid to tens of thousands of people at a critical time in the crisis, and an escalation in violence could throw recovery off course,” Ms Gebregziabher said

Aid agencies in Somalia have also criticized Kenyan troops crossing into Somalia to fight al-Shabab – the al-Qaeda-linked militants it blames for a spate of kidnappings in Kenya. Aid officials have said that the recent Kenyan military offensive in southern Somalia, in which hundreds of Kenyan troops are battling Shabab militants, is hampering humanitarian services and the delivery of emergency food.

The international community should focus on diplomacy rather than more conflict, Oxfam said.

“We’re seriously concerned that if people do not have the security to plant seeds or the freedom to access clean water and food in the markets, the humanitarian situation will deteriorate once again. If farmers are not able to work in safety now, there may be yet another failed harvest in January and a prolonged food crisis well into next year,” said Ms Gebregziabher.

Meanwhile reports coming from Mogadishu have said that on Saturday, at least four internally displaced people (IDPs) were killed and 10 others were wounded in a shoot-out between government forces in the refugee camp as food aid was being distributed.

Somalia’s Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, while touring at Badbaado refugee camp in Mogadishu, has strongly condemned the killing of refugees in the camps and the looting of aid intended for the drought-stricken people by freelance militias and government forces. He added that the government will take tougher actions against these inhumane barbaric actions.

Spurce: The Nomad Times

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