US Fears Feeding Terrorists, Delays Emergency Food Aid for Somalia

by Mike Smith · 2009-11-09 16:27:00 UTC
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The U.S. recently delayed emergency food aid to Somalia out of concerns that it would end up in the hands of terrorists. Now, the impact of the interruption is becoming clear and causing huge problems, with rations to starving people being cut. The decision in October to suspend millions of dollars worth of aid came due to fears that food and money was going to an Islamic insurgent group, with the U.S. assuring the UN that the delay would be brief.

But now the World Food Program has suggested “The food supply line to Somalia is effectively broken.” Food is stuck in Kenya until bureaucrats can decide better regulations — regulation that makes demands that the UN fear are unrealistic in such a chaotic environment like Somalia. The US donates almost $1 billion in aid to Somalia, but the distribution of this aid is only loosely monitored. The UN has communicated the urgency of the situation to USAID, but as I wrote yesterday, with USAID still lacking an administrator, the call may go unanswered. New mechanisms for distributions and monitoring must be constantly considered and reworked, but surely that can happen whilst aid is being delivered. This operation needn't shutdown completely to reboot with new regulations: millions of people rely on the US keeping the aid coming.

Photo credit: UN Photo/M Grant

Mike Smith
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