By STAFF Writer
November 29, 2011
SOMALIA NEWS - Al-Shabab militants closed down aid offices in southern Somalian towns of Beledweyne and Baidoa accusing those to be a political bias.
The southern areas of the country are controlled by al-Shabab, who has restricted for long the international aid groups' work, and on Monday he banned sixteen groups outright. The banned groups included Unicef, United Nations children's agency, few UN bodies, British Charity Concern and some groups from France, Denmark, Italy, Germany, Sweden and Norway.
East African country Somalia is hit worst in sixty years by drought after years of conflict. Lack of rain in the country is been blamed.
Jaya Murthy, spokesman of Unicef, said group of men occupied the offices in Baidoa and said the staff to leave. The men were suspected to be from the al-Shabab group.
A Baidoa resident said gunmen in three armoured vehicles surrounded the aid agency offices and took control of it forcing the staff and people to leave.
Al-Shabab senior official told to media that these closed down offices had not been carrying out several activities and the closing of these would not increase ordinary people suffering.
The official however said that Red Cross International Committee, Italy's Copi and medical aid charity MSF would still carry on their operation.
According to data about 160,000 children in Somalia are severely malnourished and are at risk of death if the aid does not continue.
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| Somalia Militants |
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| Somalia |
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