The EU has suspended food aid to Somalia - here’s why

• EU suspends humanitarian aid to Somalia due to widespread theft and mismanagement, following a damning UN investigation. 
• Allegations of aid funds being diverted by local officials, landowners, and relief workers in Somalia surface. 
• The suspension affects funding to the World Food Programme (WFP), raising concerns about the humanitarian situation in the region.

The executive of the European Union said on Tuesday that humanitarian aid payments to Somalia had been temporarily suspended following a U.N. investigation that revealed rampant theft and abuse of money intended to prevent hunger.

The news agency Reuters revealed on Monday that the European Commission has temporarily stopped financing the World Food Programme (WFP) in Somalia as a result of the U.N. findings, citing senior EU officials.

Balazs Ujvari, a spokeswoman for the European Commission, confirmed the momentary suspension on Tuesday. The Commission has not asked for the suspension of humanitarian operations in Somalia: as per standard procedures, the ongoing operations have received a pre-financing of 80% and can still be implemented through this initial funding, he Balazs Ujvari.

Nevertheless, in view of the issues communicated by the report concerned, the Commission had to take some precautionary measures to safeguard the EU funds and therefore further disbursements are temporarily suspended until clarifications and reassurance are provided as regards the resolution of the identified issues, he added.

The U.N. inquiry came to the conclusion that help meant for vulnerable people was being stolen by landowners, local officials, security personnel, and relief workers.

Two Somalis who fled famine and war in the countryside and made it to the Muri camp in the capital Mogadishu told Reuters that the aid was taken away from them by local officials.

Last year, donors increased their contributions to Somalia as aid workers issued dire warnings about an impending famine brought on by the region's worst drought in decades. According to studies, the drought may have contributed to up to 43,000 deaths last year.

The estimated U.N. budget for humanitarian assistance in Somalia is 72 million euros ($77 million), of which 10 million euros ($10.68 million) are designated for the World Food Program. The largest humanitarian donor to Somalia is unquestionably the United States. It provided more than half of the $2.2 billion in funds for the humanitarian response there in the previous year.

Due to widespread contribution misdirection, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) halted food assistance to Ethiopia's neighbor three months ago. Under the condition of anonymity, a USAID official stated on Monday that since the circumstances in Somalia and Ethiopia were different, the organization did not have any plans to stop providing food aid in the latter country.

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