One of the core tasks of European Union Warships in Somalia for the Operation Atalanta is the protection of World Food Program (WFP) vessels delivering aid to Somalia. This particular escort of a WFP chartered vessel was conducted by the European flagship ESPS “Galicia”.

On the 25th July making the most during a navigation in vicinity of Djibouti, where a personnel relief of some crewmembers and a replenishment was scheduled, some members of the staff visited the merchant vessel “Liberty Glory” to fix the near future escort. The World Food Program ship was moored in the port of Djibouti that was waiting orders to proceed with security unarmed team on board to the Somali city of Berbera.

Since the security team had no weapons on board, the U.S. vulnerable ship, the protection priority increased to the highest level. It means that a military escort from a Operation Atalanta’s unit has to be done during the transit.

On the afternoon of the 27th July 2015, after fixing some data with their company, the American vulnerable ship was ready to leave harbor and to navigate to Somalia. The Spanish Warship “Galicia” headed to the Rendez-Vous point 3 miles to the north of the port of Djibouti so as to proceed with the escort. The Warship ESPS “Galicia” escorted then the WFP chartered vessel from Djibouti to Berbera for a period of 15 hours and over a distance of 130 nautical miles.

“The broad range of capabilities of our ship makes it possible to ensure a compressive protection to any vulnerable ship navigating in the Indian Ocean. I am glad that the protection was successful and the much needed food could be transported to the Somali people. Reassure the vessels transporting humanitarian aids from the World Food Program is our main task on the Operation Atalanta” said Commander Captain Rafael Fernández-Pintado Muñoz-Rojas, Commanding Officer of the ESPS “Galicia”, on 28th July when the escort was completed and the ship was successfully delivered to the Berbera Authorities in the North East of Somalia.

During the 20th Rotation of Command, the daily monitor and the security offered to the vulnerable shipping have been increased due to the Yemeni crisis. The European units are working hard to daily monitor each vessel with humanitarian cargo. The end of piracy activity and the success against the piracy activity have been obtained due to three main actions: the naval presence in the Area of Operations, the Best Management Practices adopted by the ship’s masters and finally the security teams on board the vulnerable ships.

Altogether the units of the operation Atalanta have protected World Food Programmed ships carrying over 1.300.000 tons of humanitarian aid since 2008.