Somali Government Accuses Militants of Blocking Humanitarian Aid

Somalia’s deputy minister of agriculture has accused the militant group al Shabaab of blocking international aid organizations from helping victims of the severe droughts that have affected several parts of the African country.

Is-hak Ya’kub Gesa Adde told Shabelle Media Network, a local television and radio station, that people in south-central Somalia are at risk of dying from hunger and thirst. He urged international agencies to act quickly to help the affected population.

During the interview, the minister also noted that the militant al Shabaab movement is preventing aid groups from operating in areas hardest hit by the drought, the Shabelle Media Network says.