Region | Somalia
WFP seeks urgent navy escorts for Somalia food aid
The United Nations said on Friday that food shipments to Somalia were slowing down since few vessels were willing to travel to the country's pirate-infested waters.
- Agencies
- Published: 18:50 July 18, 2008
London: The United Nations said on Friday that food shipments to Somalia were slowing down since few vessels were willing to travel to the country's pirate-infested waters.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) also called on governments to provide naval escorts.
Peter Goossens, Somalia director for the UN WFP, said the agency had received no offers of naval protection since late June. He also said food stocks left will only last six weeks.
"I have 80,000 tonnes [of food] sitting in South Africa to urgently go into Somalia and so far I've only been able to find one ship of 8,000 tonnes that is willing to do this," he said.
WFP delivers 90 per cent of its food aid to Somalia by sea. It says air and overland routes are not practical given the scale of the operation.
Pirates have attacked 24 ships off Somalia's eastern and northern coasts so far this year, compared with 31 attacks in the whole of 2007.
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