Somali govt accuses WFP of undermining country's agriculture industry
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Wednesday January 06, 2016 - 18:31:30 in English News by
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Somalia's government has accused the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) of coinciding its food aid distributions to the country's harvest period; a scenario which it says discourages farmers from producing crops and degrades local crops' value.
Somalia’s
deputy minister of agriculture said that WFP’s current operation
setting continues to undercut Somalia’s farming industry and ‘depressed’
farmers.
"They are making serious mistakes – we don’t want to see them coinciding their food distributions to the time our farmers are harvesting crops to sell them.” He told Voice of America’s Somali service Tuesday.
He called for the agency to purchase the food aid meant for Somalia from the local farmers rather than importing it from other countries, mainly North America to boost the local production.
Agriculture is the most important economic sector for Somalia as it accounts for about 65% of the GDP and employs 65% of the workforce while livestock contributes about 40% to GDP and more than 50% of export earnings. No comment could be reached from WFP on the allegations.
The development comes despite a recent report by, the World Food Programme that the situation in Somalia has improved since the crisis of 2011, when four million people experienced extreme food insecurity and famine occurred in some regions of the south.
However, the gradual recovery and gains made are being threatened as below average rains, conflict and trade disruptions combined with limited humanitarian access and resources have left thousands of
people in need of lifesaving food and nutrition assistance, according to the agency.
Despite
earlier similar accusations by Al-Shabab, it’s the first time that
Somalia’s government has publicly criticized the UN agency’s aid
operation which supports refugees and poor people in the horn of Africa
nation.
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"They are making serious mistakes – we don’t want to see them coinciding their food distributions to the time our farmers are harvesting crops to sell them.” He told Voice of America’s Somali service Tuesday.
He called for the agency to purchase the food aid meant for Somalia from the local farmers rather than importing it from other countries, mainly North America to boost the local production.
Agriculture is the most important economic sector for Somalia as it accounts for about 65% of the GDP and employs 65% of the workforce while livestock contributes about 40% to GDP and more than 50% of export earnings. No comment could be reached from WFP on the allegations.
The development comes despite a recent report by, the World Food Programme that the situation in Somalia has improved since the crisis of 2011, when four million people experienced extreme food insecurity and famine occurred in some regions of the south.
However, the gradual recovery and gains made are being threatened as below average rains, conflict and trade disruptions combined with limited humanitarian access and resources have left thousands of
people in need of lifesaving food and nutrition assistance, according to the agency.
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Somali govt accuses WFP of undermining country's agriculture industry
Somalia's government has accused the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) of coinciding its food aid distributions to the country's harvest period; a scenario which it says discourages farmers from producing crops and degrades lo