The United Nations World Food Programme has suspended its distribution to large parts of southern Somalia, leaving a million people without food aid.

The WFP says the activities of al-Shabaab rebels have made the UN’s work impossible. The rebel movement, which the United States claims is allied to al-Qaeda, has threatened UN staff and made “unacceptable demands”, according to a UN spokesperson. The WFP will continue to distribute food aid in north and central Somalia.

WFP photos via flickr, R. Chalasani, Cristiano LaRuffa.