Food aid has been halted in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia, and two ships are sitting in a harbour, unable to unload the 3.5 tons of food aid they have on board. The government has order a halt to aid delivery.
The Lower Shabelle region of Somalia has been plagued by disaster during recent months, and now the Somalia government has added to the region’s woes. According to a BBC r
report the government has prevented food aid from being distributed in the area.
Two ships, both of which are carrying food aid, have been prevented from unloading as ports and airports have been closed. A road convoy has also been halted.
The orders to restrict the flow of aid to the region come from President Abdullahi Yusuf; the President has apparently been taken to a hospital in Nairobi where his conditions is uncertain.
Yusuf is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and regional leaders this Wednesday. It is not known whether he will attend that meeting.
There are 3.5 tonnes of food aid sitting aboard the two ships which were escorted into the Marka port by French navy escort, due to fear of pirates.
The Shabelle region has been previously known as Somalia’s breadbasket but severe floods last month harmed an already dire harvest.
The day after a visiting UN official made the statement that the international response to the crisis in Somalia had been inadequate, the Somali government issued the halt order.
John Holmes is the humanitarian affair chief and he said that aid agencies were having trouble operating because of the poor security situation.
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