Charity Workers Kidnapped in Somalia Freed; Drought Hits Jamaica

ewiley — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:41:57 +0000

Charity Workers Kidnapped in Somalia Freed
The six charity aid workers kidnapped nine months ago in Somalia have been freed, according to Action Against Hunger, a French charity. The group, which included two Kenyan pilots, two French women, on Bulgarian woman and one Belgian man, were released after an intervention involving “government officials, businessmen, clan elders and religious leaders,” the nation’s Security Minister Abdullahi Mohamed Ali said, reports the BBC. The workers are “in good health” and “they’ll have medical check-ups,” said a statement from the charity. They were kidnapped from an airstrip late last year by insurgents; charity workers are often target in the nation. There was no ransom paid for the release, as far as the government knows, Ali told The Associated Press.

Drought Hits Jamaica
The drought that has recently hit communities in Jamaica is getting worse, the BBC reports. Temperatures in the Caribbean island have been above average for two months now, due to El Nino, according to a UK weather official. In addition, the weather has resulted in a shrinking water supply and the nation’s agriculture industry could take a hit. Water has to be rationed so that the reservoirs are not over taxed, the National Water Commission told the BBC.

News You Should Know | BET.com » bdullahi Mohamad Ali

Charity Workers Kidnapped in Somalia Freed; Drought Hits Jamaica