23,000 are fed in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU (AP) - More than 23,000 people in Mogadishu received food for the first time in six weeks yesterday, despite UN refusal to provide military escorts into areas where its peace-keepers have been killed.

Twenty-six distribution centres in the Somali capital were due to receive a lorryload of wheat and maize from Care International. But Simon Israel of Care said the UN military command had refused to provide escorts to four of the centres. They were among 13 that had received no food since 5 June, when 24 Pakistani peace-keepers were killed in ambushes blamed on the warlord Mohamed Farrah Aideed.