Somalia: UN Humanitarian Aid Going to Jihadist Groups

How much money is left over for food after buying weapons and qurans? Such stupidity is without equal.

Somalia drought: UN aid for camps under Islamists BBC, July 17

The UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Somalia, Mark Bowden, says aid is being provided to camps controlled by the Islamist group al-Shabab.

Mr Bowden told the BBC that aid was being given through al-Shabab's drought committees, which run the camps.

Mr Bowden said this could be done as long as the aid was delivered according to humanitarian principles.

He described the situation as so severe that it was vital to scale up aid operations inside Somalia.

The UN's refugee agency estimates that nearly one-and-a-half million Somalis have been forced from their homes but remain in the country.

But until very recently helping them has been very difficult indeed.

Al-Shabab, which rules over large swathes of south and central Somalia, had imposed a ban on foreign aid agencies in its territories two years ago, accusing them of being anti-Muslim.

It lifted the ban 10 days ago as long as groups had "no hidden agenda".

'Humanitarian principles'

Mark Bowden said that aid was being delivered to camps run by committees under the supervision of al-Shabab, despite the movement's known allegiance to al-Qaeda.

But he made it clear that this could only proceed as long as humanitarian aid was delivered free of any political connotations.

"The Shabab have, as I understand it, through their drought committees been distributing assistance to vulnerable groups of the population, so they have taken an interest and expressed concern.

"It is of course important to also recognise that the work that we do in these areas will be conducted under humanitarian principles and based on need and without any political association attached to the assistance," said Mr Bowden.

Comments

[Stephen Gash]

An estimated £40 million went to jihad groups out of the tsunami aid appeal.

[juniper]

The useful idiots of the west, throwing their money at jihadis!

[armaros]

The UN has been the soup kitchen for every terrorist group since its inception.
Be it communists or jihadi fascists. Bosnia, Somalia, Gaza, Lebanon Cyprus ...

[Xavier823]

Any tax dollars that go to supporting the U.N. are a total waste and should be unlawful.

[John P]

The hidden-agenda is: enhancement of the Left-islamonazi alliance.

[Revnant Dream]

Gift the UN to Iraq or Pakistan. They deserve each other.