Worse, massive amounts of food are being stolen by unscrupulous businessmen then sold in markets in other parts of the country, an Associated Press investigation has uncovered.
Reportedly, al-Shabaab, a reputed terrorist organization, is preventing aid to the three million people under it’s direct control, exacerbating the conditions caused by the worst drought in decades to hit countries within the “Horn of Africa” region that has hit Somalia the hardest.
According to aid groups, diplomats and experts with ties to the region under crisis, more than 640,000 children are still in jeopardy of dying from complications associated with hunger and disease, such as cholera. Humanitarian workers are flummoxed on how to circumvent the terrorists and thieves who are capitalizing off the dilemma.
State Department and aid groups said the affected Somalis live off livestock that are being decimated by the drought, forcing the Somalis to go in search of food and water.
“We’re witnessing a catastrophe unfold, and it’s only going to get worse,” says Margaret Aguirre, director of global communications for International Medical Corps, which is providing food, water and sanitation assistance in Kenya, Ethiopia and parts of Somalia.
State Department officials also reported that al-Shabaab is preventing people from leaving as well as blocking aid from reaching the people who need it most.
–terry shropshire
