Mogadishu (Sunatimes) The Somali government has condemned the Al-Shabaab militia’s decision to ban international aid workers in areas under their control, despite a worsening famine in the region.

In a statement, Somalia’s Prime Minister, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, accused the Al-Shabaab militia of preventing people from leaving areas under their control in search of desperately needed humanitarian relief to escape starvation due to drought in their regions.

The Prime Minister, however, appealed for help from the international community, asking for food aid and for support in the government’s battle against the militants.

Last week, the United Nations declared a famine in southern Somalia’s Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions, saying nearly half of Somalia’s population needs urgent aid but Al-Shabaab militia downplayed the drought situation in Somalia accusing the U.N. of exaggerating the crisis for political reasons.

By Faduma Farah