Red Cross condemns air attack on Somali food supply centre

The Red Cross on Sunday denounced an air attack on a food supply outlet in the southern Somali town of Bardera, stressing it came at a time of mounting food shortages.

“We are alarmed about the situation in Bardera,” said Pascal Mauchle, head of the Somalia delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Although it was unmanned at the time of Saturday’s raid, the centre suffered extensive damage.

“This incident is particularly worrying at a time when the population is in dire need of food assistance,” Mauchle said.

The ICRC and the Somali Red Cross have urged all parties to the conflict to ensure the security of civilians, in line with international norms.

A 9,700-strong African Union force comprising Burundian and Ugandan troops has failed to stamp out the Shebab rebels, who have been fighting to topple the Somali government for five years.