AP: Famine aid stolen, UN investigating

[AYOUB]

Fadhato waala dhaama.

[Somalina]

Scale of reported Somalia food aid theft implausible, insists UN

 

Stolen food sold in Mogadishu markets amounts to no more than 1% of total assistance, says World Food Programme spokesman

 

Mark Tran

guardian.co.uk

Tuesday 16 August 2011 17.03 BST

 

The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) has rejected as implausible areport of widespread food aid theft in Somalia, where more than 3.2 million people are relying on a massive international relief operation.

 

Associated Press claimed that vast piles of food bearing stamps from the WFP, the US government aid arm USAid, the Japanese government and the Kuwaiti government are for sale in Mogadishu markets. AP said it found eight sites where thousands of sacks of food aid were being sold in bulk. Other food aid was also for sale in numerous smaller stores, it was reported. Among the items allegedly being sold were Kuwaiti dates and biscuits, corn, grain, and Plumpy'nut, a fortified peanut butter designed for starving children.

 

However, according to WFP, the key player in the relief effort for Somalia, early estimates based on the evidence provided by AP suggest the diverson of food aid amounts to about 1% of food assistance the organisation is bringing through Mogadishu. WFP is shipping 5,000 tons a month of food aid into Mogadishu.

"From our perspective, the scale of theft alleged is implausible," said Greg Barrow, a WFP spokesman in Rome. "The scale of theft suggested would require a logistical operation comparable in size to what we are doing in Mogadishu."

 

For the past two weeks, planeloads of aid from the UN, Iran, Turkey, Kuwait and other countries have been arriving in the Somali capital almost daily. Supplies by ship are also on the way. Five areas of Somalia are officially in a state of famine, and the rest of southern Somalia could follow within the next four to six weeks, according to the UN.

 

Read full article at http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2011/aug/16/somalia-food-aid-thefts-rejected

[NASSIR]

Somalina, What are your take of this new press release. I think the WFP's policies in distributing food & and other aid resources to the intended recipients are under strong scrutiny. Perhaps the reason it issued this statement is to forstall any investigation of theft or allegations of corruption at the lower managerial level of the agency or reform. It's business as usual.

 

S@mali, You're comparing apples and oranges saxib. The full briefcases of cash from the oil-rich gulf states were handed over to our corrupt leaderby means of political leverage and old ties. The fact that only $2 is accounted out of $300 million has to do with the caducity of the transitional institutions, lack of public records, accountability and enforcement.

[Carafaat]

I am suprised that you guys didnt know this????

 

WFP is barely present in Somalia. The last of the local staff were evicted from Somalia from 2007 on. And besides even then the food aid that has been going to Somalia, wasnt given away. Only in the refugee camps they provide the food for free. But almost 90% of the food has been sold to people. It hasnt been stolen, but was "brought" to the local market.

 

Even in Somaliland and Puntland Food aid isnt provided for free by the WFP. They operate these programmes called food for work or food for training. Where people get the food for provided labouw work or participation in trainings. Even then the food aid always ends up in the local markets.

 

Because of the food aid that flooded the market since the last famine in the 90's to Somalia, has desorted the market severly. And therefore Somalia has been on the infuse of food aid since then. And farmers and livestock owners havent been getting an honest price since then, because of 'cheap' or 'free' food aid. Many of those farmers and livestock owners that received 'food aid' never returned to farming or herding ever since and stayed in those camps in Kenya that

 

If the most recent donations are chanelled through the WFP for 'food aid', then I am afraid this will distorte the market for the coming decade. And many more will give up farming and pastorlism. Unless this aid isnt used or spend diffrently.

[Abtigiis]

Food stolen and sold in the market is not a big issue. It is long recongnised that even the most food insecure households sell the food aid they receive from humanitarians. As long as this food is not hoarded, it will contribute in reducing the prices of food and inflation has been a major problem compounding the effect of the drought in Somalia.

 

While I agree the scale is not as reported, it is funny when i hear the UN is investigating these food misappropriations. It is sad. Millions of dollars are given to phoney NGOs (international and local) every month with no proper monitoring mechanisms put in place. Hundreds of 'experts', programme managers, ...all kinds of titles have descended on Nairobi to eat their share of the 'humanitarian' funds for Somalia. It is hard to explain what some of these people - each earning more than 100,000 USD, actually do. Somalia is a basket case and will continue to be. And talking about few tonnes of food stolen is a diversion from the core failures of the so-called humanitarian community.

 

For all its fuss and noise, the UN and western donors have not been able to reach as many people as Muslim aid agencies and governments have reached in the last three months. This, despite having more infrastructure and people on the ground than the muslim groups.

 

Meesha ceeb baa ka dhacday.

[Carafaat]

Ceebtaasi wakhti dheer ayee socotay. http://stopwfpcorruption.blogspot.com/2009/07/head-of-wfp-in-somalia-covers-up-on-al.html

[Abtigiis]

WFP is the least of the problem. Iyagaaba raashin meelahaa geeya. What is UNDP doing?

[Carafaat]

UNDP has hardly been present on the ground in Somalia since 2007. They fund some useless security/governance related activities/programmes for the TFG.

 

UNDP can be blamed for doing nothing. WFP is to be blamed for most the food crises of the last 20 years in Somalia. Instead of supporting people to create own livelihoods(by simply funding livestock or proving seeds to grow again), they have destroyed the livelihood of millions by letting US/EU to dump their excess food on the Somali market. So that farmers and pastoralist will never compete with the 'cheap' food provided by WFP.

[Abdul]

This is the reason why a functioning somali government which can take care of its affairs is what the somali people need to put an end to this ceeb

[NASSIR]

Inflation and the unintended creation of disincentives for our poor consumers and Somali farmers, respectively, are both valid points. But I agree with you Abtigiis that this is a booming business for some personnel and this recurring issue of diversion and embezzlement needs to be tackled through internal control such as probably rotation policies at the top and middle level.

Oftentimes, the scapegoat is al-Shabaab as to why emergency aid reaches out to only 1 out of 5 children in Somalia. The Islamic relief agencies and individuals are doing otherwise.

 

 

Latest...

 

"Ben Rawlence, author of a Human Rights Watch report detailing abuses inflicted on Somalis by both al-Shabaab and the interim government, said: "I don't think there are any easy solutions. Peacekeepers with World Food Programme convoys are not the answer. You don't want to introduce another armed factor into what is already a very messy civil war.""

[NASSIR]

Abdul;741853 wrote:

This is the reason why a functioning somali government which can take care of its affairs is what the somali people need to put an end to this ceeb

 

Well said Abdul.