Bartamaha (Mogadishu):-  Somalia on Tuesday suspended the operations of several aid agencies, including the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Red Cross, for failing to attend a government meeting about the country’s drought.

Abdurahman Yusuf Farah, deputy minister at the water, energy and mining ministry, told reporters the aid groups had ignored a request by the transitional government for them to attend the meeting on an unspecified date.

He said the ministry had issued a statement suspending the work of the groups and warned others against failing to heed government requests for help.

The Al-Qaeda linked Shebab militia control most of Mogadishu and the majority of south-central Somalia, where they have mostly banned international humanitarian organisations from operating, including the World Food Programme.

The groups named by the ministry were UNICEF, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Concern, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and Danish Refugee Council (DRC).

The suspension is the first of its kind made by the Somali government.

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Source:- Agencies

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