19 May 2007 04:14

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  • Title: [SW News](XINHUA) WFP Food Aid Arrives in Somalia
  • From:[]
  • Date :[23 April  2000 12:34 PM EST ]

 

WFP Food Aid Arrives in Somalia

Story Filed: Sunday, April 23, 2000 12:34 PM EST

MOGADISHU (April 23) XINHUA - A large convoy with 50 heavy duty trucks of 580 tons food aid from the World Food Program successfully passed through the long closed road between Mogadishu and Baidoa on Sunday.

The food of maize, sorghum, beans and porridge is destined for the famine stricken families of Bay and Bakol regions.

The large food convoy was accompanied by more than 30 battle wagons and nearly 400 heavily armed militiamen.

Abukar Abdi Shireh, speaking for the businessmen delivering the food, said they have successfully turned their responsibility of the convoy over to their representatives in Baidoa at Qardho village, some 180 Km South of Mogadishu on the road to Baidoa.

Mogadishu-Baidoa road, the major economic links in the Horn of African country, had been out of use because of armed confrontation and banditry ever since Baidoa has fallen to the hands of the Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA) in early June last year.

The mission is free from politics and it has been coordinated by the representatives of Al-Islah and Towfiq together with their counterparts in Baidoa, said Mr Shireh.

The opening of the road has revived the moral of many businessmen and thousands of ordinary civilians whose lives had crucially been dependent on the road.

But still, the authorities in Baidoa and Wanlewein affirm that the road would only remain open for the humanitarian supplies.

The life has been getting difficult for the people in Bay and Bakol regions day after day ever since the road linking them to Mogadishu shut down for the serious hostility between the RRA and Hussein Mohamed Aidid.

Both regions depend much of their life on Mogadishu especially the food and the other commodities. Even though it is said that the road is open for the humanitarian supplies, still it is believed that other normal businesses would soon follow.

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