Piracy and attacks by militia gangs are blocking supply of food aid to Somalia, the World Food Programme (WFP) said yesterday.
Deputy country director for Somalia Leo van der Velden said Tuesday’s attack of a convoy ferrying relief food from El-Maan to Baidoa, Somalia, and rampant piracy on Somalia’s coast were hindering humanitarian aid.
“Already some owners of the vessels we are chartering to transport food to Somalia have asked for armed security on ships bound for Somalia, he said.
At least six people are said to have been killed and three others injured on Tuesday when rival militia groups exchanged fire following an attack on a WFP aid convoy near Baidoa.
He said the food had been shipped from Mombasa port to El-Maan near Mogadishu for transportation to Baidoa.
A change of plans over where to buy some of the relief supplies had resulted in a shortfall in meeting targets, he said.
“We require about 17,000 tonnes of relief food for Somalia every month, but for the months of April, May and June, we will be able to deliver 10,000 due to a change of plans over where we should buy the maize,” he said.
They had planned to buy maize in Kenya but the National Cereals and Produce Board had said they did not have enough.
“We are now making arrangement to buy some from South Africa,” he said.
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