Far more serious than the caviar pirates of the Caspian are the outlaws that have been operating off the coast of Somalia for a number of years. The situation is now so serious that the passage of humanitarian aid to thousands of Somalians is in jeopardy.

This from the World Food Programme:

21 May 2007 - WFP today appealed for high-level international action to stamp out piracy in waters off Somalia, warning that the flow of relief supplies to the country was under severe threat.

The appeal followed the killing of a Somali guard who helped repulse a new pirate attack yesterday on a ship that had just delivered WFP food assistance to the Somali port of Merka.

Consequently, the agents of a WFP-contracted vessel this morning refused to allow the ship loaded with food to sail for Somalia.

The WFP news release continues here.