Somalia urged to fix graft in aid delivery

The global anti-graft watchdog, Transparency International (TI), has called on the Somali government, donors and humanitarian agencies to address corruption in the delivery of aid to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches the needy in southern Somalia.

In a report released on Wednesday, TI said the delivery of aid in Somalia was complicated by insecurity and corruption, noting that graft risks exist across the entire humanitarian program cycle, from head offices in Kenya to operations in southern Somalia.

Samuel Kimeu, Executive Director of TI Kenya, said corruption affects all sectors in southern Somalia and that humanitarian assistance is no exception.

"But this is not a reason to reduce aid funding, rather it is a call to strengthen measures to mitigate the risks and ensure that the resources are used for their intended purpose: to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable," Kimeu said.

Years of civil conflicts have displaced millions of Somalis from their homes and at least 5 million people are in need of food assistance.

The report, which was developed in partnership with Humanitarian Outcomes, is the first independent review of corruption in southern Somalia's humanitarian sector.

The study shows that corruption risks exist in the identification of local partners, sometimes through collusion between international and national agency staff, and in the awarding of contracts to private contractors and humanitarian agencies.

The values of contracts can also be inflated to include kickbacks.

Selection and targeting of aid recipients is one of the most commonly acknowledged areas of risk, and corruption within the humanitarian chain can take place at many levels such as by favoring family and friends, creating so-called "ghost" beneficiaries, and "taxing" beneficiaries, the report says.

"Anti-corruption efforts need to be re-doubled across the board," he said. Endit