Mogadishu, January 06: The World Food Program (WFP) says it has failed to get food to hungry residents of southern Somalia due to threats and attacks posed by local fighters.
According to a statement by WFP, the actions by militant groups have led to a partial suspension of food distribution in much of southern Somalia.
“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 late November, one of the recent threats to the food agency occurred in late November when local fighters in Somalia warned the agency to buy food from Somali farmers or stop sending aid to the impoverished African country.
That threat came from al-Shabab, a group that is against the UN-backed government of the transitional Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
Four of the agency’s staff members were killed in Somalia between August 2008 and January 2009.
Despite difficulties in southern Somalia, the agency says it is still dispensing food in the capital city Mogadishu and several other areas.
The agency says it is still able to reach more than 60 percent of those in need or about 1.8 million people.
——-Agencies