European Union suspends aid to Somalia after UN reports widespread theft

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The European Union has temporarily halted its funding for the World Food Program (WFP) in Somalia after a United Nations investigation revealed widespread theft of aid intended for Somalis facing famine, Reuters reported. The European Commission received donations of over $1 billion last year, and gave around $7 million in aid to the WFP in Somalia.

Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, a senior EU official said the decision to suspend WFP funding for Somalia was made after a UN investigation reported on July 7 that landowners, local authorities, members of the security forces and humanitarian workers had stolen aid intended for poor Somalis.

The July 7 report was commissioned by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and cited internally displaced persons (IDPs) who said they were forced to give up to half the cash they received to people in positions of power – on pain of eviction, arrest or de-registration from beneficiary lists, Reuters reports.

The official told Reuters that the funding would resume once the WFP met a number of conditions, including background checks on partners in Somalia. aid would be restored after the WFP met additional conditions, such as vetting of partners on the ground in Somalia. The second senior EU official confirmed that.

The European Commission contributes 10 million euros ($10.69 million) to Somalia and Ethiopia via the WFP, Reuters said.

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