UN Supplies Food to Somalia

The United Nations airlifted 10 tons of emergency food into the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on July 27, in order to relieve victims of the famine.

Some 3.7 million Somalis-almost half of the population-are going hungry as a result of the drought that hit over 11.6 million peoples across what local media has dubbed the, "triangle of death", a region that straddles Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.

"We have got 14 tons onboard this aircraft which has just landed today, here in Mogadishu. Over the coming days, we will be bringing in an extra of 60 tons of this special, ready to use food, which comes in sachets. It looks a bit like peanut butter; it is very nutritious, full of vitamins and micro nutrients. It treats malnutrition in children" said the Nairobi spokesperson for the World Food Program, David Orr.

According to the U.N.'s refugee agency (UNHCR), there are about 400,000 displaced people in the capital, with about 1,000 new arrivals each day. It is estimated that 100,000 people have arrived in the city over the last two months alone.

"Even if people are able to obtain the food and water being distributed, they often lack even the most basic containers to carry it. Often, they must haul food and water in plastic bags," a UNHCR representative has said.

The WFP has set up 16 feeding centers across the capital, providing hot meals to new arrivals by using supplies delivered from Kenya and Tanzania.

By: Nadia Idriss Mayen and Joanna De Boer
Al Arabiya with Agencies