Monday, October 8, 2012

Al Shabaab bans Muslim agency's aid to 1.3 million Somalis

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's al Shabaab militants said on Monday they had banned Muslim aid agency Islamic Relief from areas under their control, a move that would deprive 1.3 million people of food, clean water and health care. [...]

Al Shabaab accused the humanitarian organization of working with other relief groups it had already expelled.

"Islamic relief was found to be covertly extending the operations of banned organizations, particularly WFP," al Shabaab said on Twitter, referring to the United Nations' food agency, World Food Programme.

An al Shabaab spokesman confirmed that the Twitter messages were authentic.

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