afrol News, 18 August - United Nations has expressed concern on the kidnapping and killing of agency's staff member in Southern Somalia.

UN world food progarmme statement said Somali national Abdulkadir Diad Mohamed was abducted by unidentified armed men and killed after trying to escape where he was held hostage by his kidnappers.

"I am shocked by this senseless and barbaric attack on one of our staff. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues," said WFP Executive Director, Josette Sheeran.

It is believed that Mr Mohamed was killed on Friday during a visit to his home in Dinsor, though his death was not thought to be linked to recent killings of aid workers in Somalia.

WFP said driver of the vehicle in which he was traveling in, who was not a WFP staff member is also understood to have been killed, while a third member of the group managed to escape.

"This is the first violent death of a WFP staff member in Somalia since 1993, although five drivers employed by WFP contractors have been killed since the start of the year," said WFP statement.

The incident comes as parallel talks to resolve Somalia's political crisis continue in neighbouring Djibouti and Ethiopia.

According to WFP, insecurity is a major issue for WFP in many parts of the world, including Somalia where it is expanding its operation to feed 2.4 million people by the end of the year.

Conflict, drought, hyper-inflation and rising food and fuel prices are pushing more and more people to the edge of survival.

Fighting between Somali transitional government and Islamist insurgents has triggered a humanitarian crisis in Somalia that aid workers say may be the worst in Africa as more aid workers are being killed.

Somalia's transitional administration was formed in 2004 with the help of the United Nations, but it has failed to assert real control. After Islamic militants seized control of Mogadishu and most of southern Somalia, the government called in troops from Ethiopia in December 2006 to oust them.

At least a million people have been uprooted by violence since early last year, and their plight has been compounded by record high food prices, hyper-inflation and drought.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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