The U.N.'s food agency on Wednesday rejected claims some of its staff had diverted aid to hardline Somali rebels and called on the United States to free up millions of dollars meant for the Horn of African nation. The World Food Programme said its investigation into the possible diversion of aid had absolved staff and partner organisations distributing food in Somalia.Washington is withholding millions of dollars in aid amid fears it benefits al Shabaab insurgents, a group that has declared loyalty to al Qaeda and wants to impose its own harsh version of sharia law throughout the country.
"WFP has concluded an internal investigation and we found no evidence that our staff divert food and there was no evidence that our transporters did the same," said Peter Smerdon, the World Food Programme's spokesman in Nairobi. The investigation followed reports that food aid meant for Somali civilians was finding its way into the hands of al Shabaab, which controls much of southern and central Somalia.
The U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Somalia accused Washington of politicising aid funds after negotiations aimed at releasing the millions of dollars for Somalia stalled.
"Where the negotiations have stalled are the practicalities of the measures the agencies have to undertake and that, in my view, is politicisation of serious humanitarian issues," Mark Bowden told reporters in Nairobi. He declined to elaborate on what those measures were. "No U.N. agency has paid any money to al Shabaab," he said.
The U.N. agencies said the curbs on funding for areas under al Shabaab were forcing some to cut back on programmes and leading to even more suffering for desperate Somalis. The United States is the biggest aid donor to Somalia. "We are going into this year in a very worrying financial situation," Bowden said.