LESS than one third of the aid pledged by international donors six months ago to help Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government boost security and fight piracy has been received.

According to the United Nations under-secretary-general for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe less than $70m of the almost $214m pledged by donors at an April 23 conference in Brussels has been handed over to help the embattled interim government end 18 years of lawlessness in the east African country and off its coast.

The donations were pledged as part of a mission to build up a police force of some 10,000 personnel and a security force of 5,000, and to bolster the African Union AMISOM peacekeeping mission in Somalia, which currently stands at 5,000.

Briefing a Security Council meeting on Somalia this week, Mr Pascoe said the Brussels pledges “need to be fulfilled immediately”.

According to Mr Pascoe the core of the piracy problem remained the lack of security on land. He told security council members that it was now critical to strengthen the central Government and regional authorities in order to help provide economic opportunities for fishing communities and other rural populations.

The Security Council was briefed on the outcome of the fourth meeting of the Contact Group for Combating Piracy in New York last month where it had again been recognised that the financial assistance to Somalia to establish and train a coast guard and rebuild its navy would be essential in the long run.

Mr Pascoe said that the UN was in the process of establishing a trust fund for anti-piracy activities, the terms of reference for which had been approved by the Contact Group.

In his address to the Security Council Mr Pascoe urged “all relevant actors” to work closely with the international community and Somalia Government in the fight against piracy off the coast of Somalia. He added that the United Nations continued to support prosecution efforts of suspected pirates by regional countries and through the United Nations Offices.

Despite foreign naval patrols off Somalia’s coast, attacks on ships by Somali pirates have soared this year, reaching 148 in the first half of 2009.

While recent activity has slowed and just two merchant ships and two fishing boats are currently being held by Somali pirates, security sources have warned against complacency and experts suggest that the problem will re-emerge once weather conditions in the Gulf of Aden improve.

The cost to underwriters meanwhile is escalating, with the average ransom last year from between to $1m-$2m and has gone up to $2m-$3m.

Source: lloydslist.com

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