U.S. Planes Carry Tons of Food to Kenyans, Somalis

A U.S. food airlift gained momentum Sunday, delivering 216 tons of split peas and wheat flour in 18 flights to northeastern Kenya.

Three giant C-141 Starlifters and six of the smaller C-130 Hercules transport planes made two trips each from the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa to the northeastern town of Wajir.

Most of the food is destined for about 1 million Kenyans suffering from a two-year drought. A smaller amount is going to 320,000 Somali refugees who fled drought and warfare in their country. It was the largest shipment since the airlift began Friday.

The U.S. push comes as aid officials warned that as many as half the children in Somalia risk death from starvation.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly the very young and old, have died. The United Nations says 2 million more of Somalia’s 8.5 million people will die soon unless food reaches them.

The first U.S. flights into Somalia this week are likely to reach Baidoa, a hard-hit villages.

Aid officials say Somalia needs at least 30,000 tons of donated food per month and has received 20,000 tons in the past two weeks. They say the U.S. airlift, which aims to deliver 145,000 tons, could quickly make up the difference if the food gets past looters.