Somalia’s food aid stolen, UN launches investigation
August 16th, 2011 - 12:04 am ICT by Aishwarya BhattMogadishu, August 15 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The United Nations has launched investigation into how food aid to the starving people of Somalia went missing. The world body said thousands of sacks of food aid meant for the people in the famine region of Somalia were stolen.
Witnesses say the stolen foods are currently being sold in the various neighborhoods where it was supposed to be distributed free to people who are starving as a result of the severe famine that has hit East Africa. This is the first time that the United Nations has admitted that food aid has been stolen.
A severe drought in the region described as the “Horn of Africa” has caused several farms to fail. This has placed several people in danger of starving. That includes about 3.2 million people in Somalia. That is almost 50 percent of the entire population. The UN estimates that 29,000 children have already been killed by the famine.
The US military got involved in the distribution of food aid in Somalia in 1992. At the time of US’ intervention, the country announced that food aids to the famine victims were being stolen. The US ended their involvement in Somalia at the end of the operation Black Hawk Down.
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Tags: aids, august 15, black hawk down, drought, east africa, estimates, famine victims, food aid, hawk, horn of africa, mogadishu, people of somalia, population, sacks, united nations, us military