Nairobi, January 05: The UN’s World Food Program (WFP) has suspended its work in much of southern Somalia due to threats against its staff and unacceptable demands by al Shabaab rebels controlling the area, a WFP spokesman said on Tuesday.
The WFP has been central to international efforts to address an acute humanitarian crisis in the drought- and conflict-torn Horn of Africa nation. Experts say half the population need aid.
“Unacceptable conditions and demands from armed groups have disrupted WFP’s ability to reach many of the most vulnerable people in southern Somalia,” Peter Smerdon told reporters.
“Despite this suspension, WFP remains active in much of central and northern Somalia, including the capital Mogadishu.”
About three-quarters of the 3.76 million people who need aid are concentrated in central and southern regions.
Most of those areas are controlled by the al Shabaab rebel group, which Washington says is al Qaeda’s proxy in Somalia.
—Agencies