Somalia Famine: Al-Shabab, Militant Group, Permanently Bans Red Cross Food Aid

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Somali insurgents have shut down food aid distribution by a major aid group because they say the organization is distributing spoiled food in the famine-hit south.

The al-Shabab militant group said late Monday that they were shutting down the Red Cross' operation permanently.

"Despite being offered unrivaled access to all the regions governed by the Mujahideen in South and Central Somalia, the International Committee of the Red Cross has repeatedly betrayed the trust conferred on it by the local population," said the statement from the al-Qaida-linked militia.

The militia said they conducted a "thorough inspection" of the aid group's warehouses and food depots and found that up to 70 percent of the food was "unfit for human consumption, posing a considerable health hazard and exposing the vulnerable recipients to acute illnesses."

A Red Cross spokeswoman said Tuesday that the organization did not have immediate comment.

The Red Cross previously said some trucks were stuck on bad roads for several weeks in the rainy season and the food aboard them was spoiled. That food – about 2,000 tons, according to al-Shabab – was publicly burned after the militia had taken photos of the moldy beans.

The Red Cross began distributing monthly rations to 1.1 million people in October and were midway through the second distribution when a convoy of trucks was stopped by al-Shabab in mid-December in Jowhar. Negotiations for their release took several weeks but were ultimately unsuccessful.

The Red Cross formally suspended operations in al-Shabab areas of southern Somalia on Jan. 12. They are the only agency bringing in food to those famine-hit areas on such a large scale.

The U.N. said more than 13 million people were in need of aid and 750,000 at risk of starvation at the height of the Somali famine. Those at risk of starvation have subsequently dropped to 250,000 after an influx of aid and after seasonal rains arrived, meaning crops could be planted.

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The arm of Mihag Gedi Farah, a seven-month-old child with a weight of 3.4kg, is held by his mother in a field hospital of the International Rescue Committee in the town of Dadaab, Kenya, Tuesday, July 26, 2011. The U.N. will airlift emergency rations this week to parts of drought-ravaged Somalia that militants banned it from more than two years ago, in a crisis intervention to keep hungry refugees from dying along what an official calls the "roads of death." Tens of thousands already have trekked to neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia, hoping to get aid in refugee camps. (AP)

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The arm of Mihag Gedi Farah, a seven-month-old child with a weight of 3.4kg, is held by his mother in a field hospital of the International Rescue Committee in the town of Dadaab, Kenya, Tuesday, July 26, 2011. The U.N. will airlift emergency rations this week to parts of drought-ravaged Somalia that militants banned it from more than two years ago, in a crisis intervention to keep hungry refugees from dying along what an official calls the "roads of death." Tens of thousands already have trekked to neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia, hoping to get aid in refugee camps. (AP)

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Comments

[OH canada]

08:29 PM on 02/07/2012

why do the poor kids have to suffer?? :( they didn't ask for this

[Barely There]

12:08 AM on 02/01/2012

Help the helpless.

[trron9]

10:38 PM on 01/31/2012

There are two issues that need to be addressed here, 1st the Militant Group needs to be eliminated by whatever means necessary! 2nd verification that the food is safe to eat!

[new beginning]

08:34 AM on 02/01/2012

it sounds from the article that it wasn't safe to eat.

[whenicyouucme]

09:21 PM on 01/31/2012

This has nothing to do with religion. Here is a concept though. 1.5 billion Muslims in the world and growing. One would think 1.5 billion muslim's would come together and help feed starving Muslim's. As a Muslim I am disgusted by this.

[OH canada]

08:26 PM on 02/07/2012

the muslim population is ruled by dictators appointed by the west at one point or another. They suppress their own population to poverty and you think they are going to help another nation?

[whenicyouucme]

09:47 PM on 02/07/2012

1.5 billion Muslim's in the world and you're yacking about dictators. Yes indeed I will agree with you that there are periods of history where the Muslim's have failed to help each other including now. Yet... You fail to leave out the GCC. Qatar is the wealthiest nation on earth surpassing any country in it's quality of life for it's citizens. Qatar also heads up Al-Jazeera which arab leaders at this point loathe. The money is there to help the Muslim's who are impovershed and I am clueless as to why with the man power we have, our people are still living in slums. When the leaders of the Arab countries decide to put their heads together and eradicate the hellish condiitons like they have in the GCC I am sure things will chane. Insha'Allah!

[AshinoD]

10:02 PM on 02/07/2012

It shouldn't be Muslims helping Muslims. It should be people helping people.

[whenicyouucme]

12:18 AM on 02/08/2012

Unfortunately in hostile places such as Somalia only 'muslims' can enter there with out such hostility. Since there are 1.5 billion of us and the Non Muslim west (god knows they have tried) can not seem to reach these people due to Al Shabab and their agenda. The Muslim's should definitly be the one's to step in at this point and come to the aid. After all it is one of the pillars of Islam!

[Nighthawlk]

11:12 AM on 01/31/2012

Normally, I am against US forces in UN actions. I still am as Peace Keepers, but this situation is different. Normally, the Arab countries should be forced to deal with this situation, but it is obvious that unless the Arab League can rape, murder, blow things up and basically commit terrorist acts they are useless.

The UN needs to go in and kicking as* . If this is not a crime punishable by death then nothing is. The militia should be providing transportation and other assistance for the distribution of food.

[Bellla]

10:42 AM on 01/31/2012

al Shaab would much rather people starve to death.

[intellifran]

10:30 AM on 01/31/2012

Now, will some people stop saying that charities (religious or otherwise) are not doing enough to help starving children? You cannot help people in a place ruled by militants. All they do is steal the aid.

[OkaliyDokaliy]

01:30 PM on 01/31/2012

Lets not forget the raping of women too....

[miketothad]

10:19 AM on 01/31/2012

Sounds like Rick Scott.

[Ohene]

10:10 AM on 01/31/2012

These are pure innocent children. They happened to be born in Somalia by chance. They could be my or your children. Life is tragic. During and immediately after the Second World War many Europeans went through what these children are going through now.

[NicholasSmith]

10:10 AM on 01/31/2012

If there was 30% of good food I wonder where it is going to go...Al-Shabab put down the forks and answer me!

[thebearclaw007]

01:34 PM on 01/31/2012

Good one!

[whenicyouucme]

09:20 PM on 01/31/2012

exactly

[Ohene]

10:06 AM on 01/31/2012

How are these Somalian religious thugs different from the hate-filled American Tea Party members who have refused to acknowledge the Christian faith of President Obama?

Religious fanaticism has neither soul nor head.

[intellifran]

10:31 AM on 01/31/2012

I don't recall the tea party banning aid groups from the US. That's how they're different. I don't suport the tea party, but when you ask such a ridiculous question you force me to make these statements. be intellectually honest.

[new beginning]

08:37 AM on 02/01/2012

Excellent point. Fanned

[Ohene]

09:59 AM on 01/31/2012

One exiled Somali opposition leader based in Britain said some years ago: "Somalians have proved incapable of ruling themselves." Now it is getting worse; it has taken on a relgious overtone.

[Ohene]

09:44 AM on 01/31/2012

This is another reason why Islam as it is now is NOT GOOG for the African continent and her people. Look at Nigeria; fellow Nigerians killing fellow Nigerian in the name a strange interpretation of Islam.

How come that the Abrahamic relgions -- Judaism, Christianity and Islam -- have served so well as tools of mass murder?

[intellifran]

10:33 AM on 01/31/2012

There have been other religions that were great at mass murder. Islam woks fine in Puntland and Somaliland. The problem is Somalia has militants who are greedy and xenophobic.

[thebearclaw007]

01:46 PM on 01/31/2012

According to the texts you mentioned, it has something to do with original sin, and the individuals who read the texts overlooking the good. For example, it's easier to be selfish than to be selfless, which is called being virtuous, and which is underlying message of all these texts. However, when it comes to being selfish or selfless, most will choose to be selfish. We're all guilty at some time or another, and maybe that's what original sin is all about.

[g1france]

09:41 AM on 01/31/2012

I think they'd rather have stones and pebbles for dinner than spoilt food. Its up to the famine affected population to decide whether or not they want to consume the food, not the militants.

Also, I'm really looking forward to Black Hawk Down 2.

[intellifran]

11:19 AM on 01/31/2012

The people have not risen against this oppression and it's unlikely they will. It's a shame. I heard the Somali coasts were beautiful.

[silverspirit2011]

09:27 AM on 01/31/2012

I am sorry, but the religious hate is greater than the people love here, And I am an atheist. Sure Islam is using politics to spread hate and fear, it does not give us permission, or moral right to act the same.

Please think if the innocents, rather than the guilty. And remember the instincts of justice - I would rather free one innocent man, than jail one hundred guilty men and an innocent.