SOS Children — Thousands of Somali children are malnourished. Despite this, the WFP has been forced to scale back activities due to crime and conflict—even as reports of stolen food aid surface.

Yesterday, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced that it is investigating the allocation of food aid in Somalia. The decision to undertake a review of its own internal activities came in response to reports that as much as half of the food aid delivered by the WFP ends up in the hands of belligerents, corrupt officials and local UN in-country staff.

The WFP is the United Nations’ agency for food aid and assistance. It has been active in Somalia for years, but earlier this year was forced to suspend some of its activities due to piracy. This has left 650 000 of the 2.5 million people the WFP was most recently mandated to help without assistance. Over 90% of the food aid delivered to Somalia arrives by sea. As such, ships remain extraordinarily vulnerable to Somali pirates.

Today, 70% of the Somali population is dependent on food aid and humanitarian assistance as armed conflict continues to ravage the countryside and urban centres such as the capital, Mogadishu. Sadly, the effects of the armed conflict have been exacerbated by environmental factors; drought has pushed 300 000 more people into extreme hunger. Of these, children have been disproportionately affected. 1 in every 6 Somali children faces chronic hunger (1 in 5 in central Somalia). In total, 240 000 children are acutely malnourished—that is, they are lacking key vitamins and minerals that are essential to the body’s neurological, immunological and cardiovascular functions.

In situations such as Somalia—as occurred in Iraq, Rwanda and Bosnia before it—the international community must make a trade-off between conflict prevention and civilian protection. International humanitarian law such as the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols say that humanitarian activities must remain neutral and not benefit any particular belligerent. Indeed, some organizations have pulled out of countries where humanitarian aid has been diverted or appropriated by warring armed groups. This, unfortunately, leaves civilians without relief supplies, which also runs contrary to international humanitarian law. This is the predicament of the provision of emergency relief in modern conflict situations.

Unfortunately, the humanitarian situation in Somalia has continued to deteriorate as at least 40 civilians have been killed in the last two days of intense fighting between government and Islamist forces around Mogadishu. 33 000 are still displaced, unable to return to their homes due to heavy fighting.

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