Somalia: Greed, Guns and Starvation

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January 20, 2006: The distribution of food aid is increasingly disrupted by gunmen setting up roadblocks, demanding passage fees from food aid trucks, or just stealing some or all of the food. The aid organizations pay when they can, and accept the losses from theft as a cost of getting some food through. The world is not willing to fight the Somali warlords again, in order to deliver food aid.

January 16, 2006: The battles in Kismayo continue, as rival warlords battle over control of the town, as well as kidnapped ships and their crews that are held there. Several men have been killed, and more wounded in the latest fighting.

January 13, 2006: A tribal feud in Mogadishu led to fighting that left over a dozen dead, and many more wounded. This was a turf battle, while outside the city, fighting continues over grazing and water access.