April 17, 2009
ACDI/VOCA Food Aid on Ship Hijacked by Somali Pirates
Some of the cargo on the MV Maersk Alabama, the U.S.-flagged, Danish-owned container ship hijacked by Somali pirates, was USAID PL 480 Title II food aid that belonged to ACDI/VOCA.
The 508-foot-long Alabama was en route to the Kenyan port of Mombasa with its crew of 20 U.S. nationals when it was set upon by pirates some 280 miles southeast of the town Eyl in Puntland on April 8. It was less than half full of food, including vegetable oil, bulgur wheat and other agricultural materials destined for use by ACDI/VOCA, World Vision, the World Food Program and other clients. ACDI/VOCA’s portion, which has since been safely off-loaded and arrived in Kigali, is to be used implementing a project in Rwanda on behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Then on April 14 the Liberty Sun, another American-flagged ship carrying ACDI/VOCA corn-soy blend and bulgur wheat, also for ACDI/VOCA’s Rwanda program, was attacked by pirates wielding grenade launchers and automatic weapons in the Gulf of Aden, about a half day out of Mombasa. The ship was not taken over, but somewhat damaged. No injuries to the crew resulted.
The story of the Alabama became especially dramatic after its sailors regained control of the ship, but the pirates managed to seize Capt. Richard Phillips and take him hostage in a lifeboat. He was freed in a daring rescue operation off the coast of Somalia on April 12, when Navy Seal snipers firing off the fantail of the USS Bainbridge killed the remaining three pirates on the lifeboat (a fourth had been taken into custody). The Bainbridge had been towing the lifeboat in an arrangement struck with the pirates, but after a shot was fired and Phillips’s life was thought to be in danger, the Navy took action.
It is speculated that the Liberty Sun was attacked in retaliation for the deaths of the pirates during the rescue of Captain Phillips.
Somali pirates have carried out numerous attacks on commercial, leisure and humanitarian vessels and demanded hefty ransoms for captured ships and crew. The attack on the Alabama was the first, however, on an American flag carrier and on a vessel carrying U.S. humanitarian aid.
An international naval force has deployed to the region to address the threats to shipping. However, pirate attacks have continued—there have been 15 hijackings in 2009—and expanded farther away to great distances in the Indian Ocean. Military operations to free captives have been few due to the safety risk to victims, with most hijackings ending peacefully after the payment of a ransom. However, the Obama administration is considering stepped-up efforts.
According to ACDI/VOCA’s Senior Vice President for Food Security Avram "Buzz" Guroff, the attacks pose urgent new problems for the way food aid is administered. He said, “Since implementers such as ACDI/VOCA take title for the commodities prior to shipment, they can be liable for loss. Marine or all-risk insurance can be extremely costly.”
Given the sudden new risks associated with food aid, ACDI/VOCA is undertaking a review of its policies and procedures. The U.S. development organization not only implements food aid to support its own USAID and USDA development projects but has also managed commodity shipments or served as lead monetizer for many other NGOs, such as Africare, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, CARE, Winrock, TechnoServe, FINCA, Land O'Lakes and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Council.