Friday 28 January 2011

INTERVIEW-Somalia faces worst drought in five years - UN

* Agencies unable to reach most malnourished children * Food prices up 75 pct in 6 months, worsened by hoarding
* Rebels refuse food aid, say it encourages dependency
By Katy Migiro
NAIROBI, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Somalia is entering its worst drought in five years and aid agencies are unable to feed the majority of people in need, a senior United Nations humanitarian official said on Friday.
Al Shabaab rebels, who profess loyalty to al Qaeda, have refused to allow food aid to be distributed in southern and central Somalia, which they control.
"It looks as if we are now going into something that last happened five years ago, which is an acute drought cycle," Mark Bowden, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, said in an interview with Reuters.
"Clearly the issue of food distribution is going to become more and more pressing."Read More

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