- Title: KENYA: World Food Programme say Somali pirates are hurting aid deliveries
- Date: 10th April 2009
- Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (APRIL 9, 2009) (REUTERS) JOURNALIST TALKING TO U.N. WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME (WFP) SPOKESMAN PETER SMERDON JOURNALIST TAKING NOTES SMERDON SPEAKING TO JOURNALIST JOURNALIST'S FACE (SOUNDBITE) (English) WFP SPOKESMAN, PETER SMERDON SAYING: "The Maersk Alabama was supposed to arrive in Mombassa on the 16th of April. Part of its cargo consists of 232 containers
- Embargoed: 25th April 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Kenya
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA7NA3AXK4JD8JBU735DZ1278ZL
- Story Text: The U.N's World Food Programme says hijackings by Somali pirates are hurting the delivery of food aid to eastern Africa.
Escalating attacks by pirates off the coast of Somalia are making it increasingly difficult for the U.N's food agency to deliver relief aid to the hungry in the east and Horn of Africa, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Thursday (April 9).
Marking a major jump in attacks at sea off Somalia, pirates hijacked a U.S.-flagged ship on Wednesday (April 8) with 20 American crew on board and carrying thousands of tonnes of food relief.
WFP's spokesman Peter Smerdon said the attack on the Maersk Alabama would delay delivery of much needed relief in the region. It is unclear when the ship will reach its original destination.
"The Maersk Alabama was supposed to arrive in Mombassa on the 16th of April. Part of its cargo consists of 232 containers of food for the United Nations World Food Programme. This consists mainly of 4000 tonnes of corn soya blend which is very effective for treating malnourished children and their mothers and that was destined for Kenya, Uganda and Somalia. In addition there were another thousand tonnes of vegetable oil destined for Kenya where we need to feed 300,000 refugees every month," Smerdon told Reuters.
Last year, heavily armed Somali pirates hijacked dozens of vessels, took hundreds of sailors hostage -- often for weeks -- and extracted millions of dollars in ransoms.
Foreign navies rushed warships to the area in response and reduced the number of successful attacks. But there are still near-daily attempts and the pirates have also started hunting further afield near the Seychelles.
WFP has often relied on navy escorts from countries like France and Britain but Smerdon says even ships carrying aid are being targeted as it is not possible to have escorts for every vessel. This is raising insurance costs and making shippers wary of working in those waters.
"Now ships are getting hit, both commercial and obviously ships carrying humanitarian assistance and that will undoubtedly force rates up: you get increased insurance rates if they're being hijacked and it also makes shippers more reluctant to come to this region," said Smerdon.
The food situation in the east and Horn of Africa is dire. In Somalia alone about 3.4 million people are facing food insecurity and drought.
Smerdon said it now costs hundred of millions of dollars more to feed the same number of people a year blaming it on the problems associated with shipping food and high local food prices. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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