NAIROBI (October 3, 2008) – A public threat delivered through a media statement on Thursday October 2nd by the spokesperson of a local militia group is threatening humanitarian operations of one of the largest aid agencies currently operating throughout Somalia.
“We take security threats of this nature very seriously,” says David Gilmour, Country Director for CARE Somalia. “The safety of our staff is paramount to our operations. These kinds of targeted and public threats ultimately force us to choose between the safety of our colleagues on the ground and our commitment to deliver aid to hundred of thousands of Somalis who are in desperate need of assistance.”
The situation in Somalia is extremely tense with dozens of civilian casualties every week, periodic abductions and killings of aid workers. Since the beginning of 2008, at least 24 relief workers have lost their lives, while 10 remain hostage. Two of the abducted people are CARE staff.
The United Nations estimates that 3.2 million people, 40 percent of the total Somali population, are currently in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. This is due to a combination of factors including prolonged conflict, rising global food and fuel prices, as well as spiralling hyperinflation.
CARE is an international humanitarian organization that has worked in Somalia since 1981. Emergency interventions in the country include lifesaving activities such as the delivery of food, water and sanitation to approximately 1 million people. CARE is a non sectarian organization, committed to remain politically neutral and to serving individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world.
Media Contact: Beatrice M. Spadacini, [email protected]; +254 (0) 725 22 10 36