MOGADISHU – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and
its partners this week began an emergency distribution of food
to an additional 50,000 people in Mogadishu in response to the
drought gripping much of the country. “WFP and its partners are
doing all we can to feed the hungry – especially women and
children - who have been forced from their homes by a
combination of drought and conflict,” said Stefano Porretti, WFP
Somalia Country Director. “They are caught in the middle,
squeezed on all sides, and need our support.” The additional
food, consisting of high energy biscuits, fortified with
vitamins and minerals, was distributed at 20 camps on the
outskirts of the capital. The distribution followed an
assessment by WFP and the Danish Refugee Council and Norwegian
Refugee Council of the needs of displaced families forced to
move closer to the capital because of the drought. - In total,
WFP aims to provide food assistance to 1.2 million people in
Somalia in 2011. - As well as providing high energy biscu