VOA asked Mark Bowden if the organization could have done more to prevent the crisis.
MARK BOWDEN: “We had been hoping to avoid famine, we spent a lot of our resources that we had at the beginning of the year specifically to help those communities that we thought might migrate, to stop migrations, which is one of the major causes of death. We spent our money, we didn't have enough to scale up as we now need to.”
Now, the United Nations is appealing for three hundred million dollars in the next two months. Officials say much of that will be used to supply existing feeding centers and to provide medical services. The money will also be used to support local economies and farmers.
Luca Alinovi is head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization for Somalia. He says the objective is to keep people from fleeing the affected areas.
LUCA ALINOVI: “The only way to prevent people moving out is to make sure that they have hope for the future -- they can make something out of their lives. How can they do that? They can do that only if they feel that in the next few months they will be in condition to produce their food.”
Bakool and Lower Shabelle are both under the control of al-Shabab. On Friday the militant group called the UN declaration "propaganda." It also said it will permit increased aid only from foreign agencies currently working in its territory.
Al-Shabab is linked to al-Qaida, and the United States has declared it a terrorist organization.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25