File Photo/Somali Times
The theft of Somalia’s corrupt leaders and officials caused the European Union to freeze aid. Most of the people hear the heads of the districts of Banadir region and those of the regional administrations, the local army and the leaders of the camps holding the aid cards that are given to the displaced people in the camps in all the regions of the country.
More than one million people are in camps in the capital city of Mogadishu, and Baidoa is one of the cities with the largest number of displaced people, most of whose lives depend on the things provided by charity organizations.
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But an undisclosed story that has been going on for a while is that the leaders of the areas are involved in widespread corruption with regular payments to the vulnerable people living in the camps.
A story that was popular in the camps in Mogadishu, Baidoa and other cities in the country has now become international and its information has been received by aid agencies.
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Charitable organizations have found that vulnerable people are forced to pay half of the funds intended for them to be issued cards, and some of their cards have been bought from other people who are not displaced.
This corruption is said to involve landowners, district administrations, members of the security forces and charity workers.
An investigation conducted by the United Nations has led to the European Union temporarily suspending the funds it used to give to the World Food Organization (WFP) in Somalia.
The move came after an investigation by the United Nations revealed widespread theft and abuse of its aid.
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Many countries support the World Food Program (WFP). Up to 7 million dollars intended for Somalia, the European Union supported the WFP last year.
The change in the temporary suspension will depend on how to filter with the collaborators in Somalia, according to an official who spoke to the European Union.
So, how do the aid funds in Somalia happen?
There are cards of the type of communication companies that are given to the displaced people in Somalia, which are used to transfer money to the displaced people.
According to the information, there are two ways of corruption, one is to force the poor people to share the money and take it themselves, while the other side is taken by the district governor, camp leader, charity workers and the army.
The second method of fraud is false registration, which then leads to the purchase of cards from people who are not displaced and work in their hometowns, who buy more cards because they have more money every month.
There are people who are not displaced and have up to 10 cards that they have bought, each of which costs between 75 dollars and 120 dollars a month.
These cards are issued by different organizations, and it is the one that causes some payments to last for four months in a row, some for six months in a row, and some for a year or more.
This kind of monstrous corruption has been going on for almost a decade. The government of Somalia is involved but has not yet taken any action, and it has come to the attention of the international organizations today.
Three months ago, WFP and USAID suspended the food aid they were giving to Ethiopia, in response to widespread theft of aid.
This abomination beyond the law and humanity that has been happening for a long time to the displaced people in the camps in Somalia, and it is one that needs to be dealt with urgently and for the government to take responsibility.