Thursday, March 10, 2011

Increased Emergency Food Aid For Displaced Somali People


As a result of two decades of conflict and drought, it's estimated that nearly 2.4 million people, or 32 percent of the entire population (7.2 million), are in need of aid assistance and relief in Somalia. Luckily, the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) is trying to help as many of these affected people as it can. This week, the WFP and its partners have promised further emergency help to 50,000 people in the capital city of Mogadishu, who are suffering from critical shortages of food. The food aid is made up mostly of high energy biscuits, packed with essential vitamins and minerals. Currently, the WFP and its partners are in the process of opening up new centers in refugee camps where internally displaced people can receive cooked meals. These new centers along with ones already in place are feeding 85,000 people a day, with hopes of reaching even more displaced Somalis in the coming months.

- Brock McNairy