Somalia Famine Aid Stolen; UN Investigating

An Associated Press report indicates that thousands of sacks of food aid meant for Somalia's famine victims have been stolen and are being sold at markets. The U.N.'s World Food Program acknowledged it has been investigating food theft in Somalia for two months. Estimates show that "many unnecessary deaths" will result from the slightest interruption in food assistance. More than 450,000 Somalis live in famine zones controlled by al-Qaida-linked militants, where aid is difficult to deliver. There has long been suspicion that some food aid would go missing unexpectedly, but "the sheer scale of the theft taking place calls into question aid groups' ability to reach the starving." There is also concern that the stolen aid not only robs from those who need it but that it is being used to fuel "the power groups that make a business out of the disaster," said Joakim Gundel, who heads Katuni Consult, a Nairobi-based company often asked to evaluate international aid efforts in Somalia. "You're saving people's lives today so they can die tomorrow."