Between the 11 and 18 January 2011, the EU NAVFOR Italian warship ITS Zeffiro and the Spanish warship SPS CANARIAS successfully completed the escort of the MV MASAR TRADE, chartered by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).
The ITS ZEFFIRO started the escort and then handed over to SPS CANARIAS, which completed the final stages.
MV MASAR TRADE, sailing under the flag of the Comoros Islands, was transporting a substantial amount of food aid for Somalia. The vessel reached the Somali port of Berbera safely on 18 January delivering a further 2,223 tonnes of food and other goods.
It is EU NAVFOR’s priority mission to escort WFP merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid, along with vessels of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
A considerable part of the Somali population is living in poverty and millions of people are dependent on the help offered by the international community. It is therefore of particular importance that these food transports arrive at their destination safely, without being targeted by pirates.
Since the beginning of the operation in 2008, 92 WFP chartered vessels have already been safely escorted by EU NAVFOR warships. These escorts helped in the delivery of 474,000 metric tons of food to Somali, feeding on average 1,138,000 Somalis each day.
EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program (WFP) and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). EU NAVFOR also protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, deters and disrupts piracy. EU NAVFOR finally monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.
The ITS ZEFFIRO started the escort and then handed over to SPS CANARIAS, which completed the final stages.
MV MASAR TRADE, sailing under the flag of the Comoros Islands, was transporting a substantial amount of food aid for Somalia. The vessel reached the Somali port of Berbera safely on 18 January delivering a further 2,223 tonnes of food and other goods.
It is EU NAVFOR’s priority mission to escort WFP merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid, along with vessels of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
A considerable part of the Somali population is living in poverty and millions of people are dependent on the help offered by the international community. It is therefore of particular importance that these food transports arrive at their destination safely, without being targeted by pirates.
Since the beginning of the operation in 2008, 92 WFP chartered vessels have already been safely escorted by EU NAVFOR warships. These escorts helped in the delivery of 474,000 metric tons of food to Somali, feeding on average 1,138,000 Somalis each day.
EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program (WFP) and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). EU NAVFOR also protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, deters and disrupts piracy. EU NAVFOR finally monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.