Aspokesman for the World Food Program, Peter Smerdon, expressed concern that thepirate attacks on food shipment would lead to a delay of needed food relief toSomalia, where drought and civil war has left tens of thousands of peoplehungry.
The cargo shipMaersk-Alabama, freed this week from pirates, is now unloading food in the portof Mombasa, Kenya. But two other ships have been taken or diverted: the Togo-flaggedSea Horse was attacked 700 kilometers from the Somali capital, Mogadishu, onits way to pick up 7000 metric tons of maize for the WFP from Mumbai, India.
"This is aworrying development for us," said Smerdon:
"We areconcerned the people in Somalia will go hungry unless the Lebanese-owned SeaHorse is quickly released or a replacement ship can be found. It was due toopen a new corridor for the WFP from Mumbai to Somalia to deliver life-savingassistance. So we are alarmed that it was hijacked before it could even dothis."
A secondship is the US-flagged Liberty Sun, which was attacked by pirates Tuesday afterit had made a food delivery at Port Sudan. Smerdon said it was damaged byrocket propelled grenade fire, but the crew is safe and the vessel is going toMombasa under US escort.
The Liberty Sun is carrying27 thousand metric tons of food, mostly for the WFP's program in Somalia, withsmaller amounts going to its program in southern Sudan and Kenya. Among thefood stocks are maize meal, wheat flour, yellow peas, lentils and soya blend,which is useful for treating malnutrition in children and mothers. It's alsocarrying three thousand metric tons of food for World Vision and for NGOs inUganda.
Smerdon said thanks to EUnaval escorts, food deliveries have been delivered without being attacked tothe port of Mogadishu, Somalia. Likewise, he say today there is little lootingof food once it's taken ashore. One reason is because the WFP gets the publicor written assurances of local leaders and armed groups that the convoys willnot be attacked. Another is the system transporters use to deliver the food.
"The transport companieswork under a cash bond system; they have to give us a cash bond in return inreturn for taking the WFP food. If the food doers not arrive we keep the cashbond. So, it is in the interest of the transporters to make sure they are onlydelivering food to areas they can reach without being looted or attacked. Thissystem works well and we lose very little food in Somalia from looting."
Some political groups inSomalia portray the pirates as a sort of informal coast guard or even asmodern-day Robin Hoods taking goods from the rich to give to the poor. Butaccording to Smerdon, "These groups have used all sorts of excuses to justifytheir actions, but I think from the growth in piracy one can see clearly thatis simply a money-making exercise. "
"Itmay be driven by Somalia being awash with weapons and the bad humanitariansituation so everyone wants to make money," he continued, "but they are buyinglarge houses and equipment; they are not redistributing wealth to the poorest."