WFP aid ship escorted to Somalia

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Source: CCTV.com | 12-08-2008 10:21

The Royal Netherlands Navy has escorted a vessel with seven-thousand tons of aid from the UN World Food Programme into Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.

Both vessels set off from Kenya travelling through the pirate-ridden waters of the Indian Ocean to reach their destination.

The Royal Netherlands Navy has escorted a vessel with seven-thousand tons of aid from the UN World Food Programme into Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.(CCTV.com)

Del Van Neut, Dutch Navy Officer, said, "We've escorted the Ibn Batouta for the final part of a voyage to Mogadishu port and for the last few miles we have her an escort with two small boats with special forces in it to give her extra security until she reaches the port or goes to anchorage."

Rampant piracy and attacks on aid workers have left the impoverished Horn of Africa nation in dire need of humanitarian aid.

A senior shipping officer at the World Food Programme said the agency has delivered 50-thousand tons of food aid to Somalia by ship in the last month.

He estimated it took about 10 ships to deliver the aid.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei