Garowe (Raxanreeb Online) — Prisoners held in police stations across Garowe, the administrative capital of Puntland, are reportedly facing dire living conditions following a severe shortage of food, reliable sources have confirmed.

At least four police stations in Garowe, which together hold hundreds of inmates—most of them awaiting trial—have not received any food supplies in recent days. Only a few detainees who depend on support from their families are managing to get meals.

According to the reports, the Garowe Municipality is responsible for providing food to the prisoners. However, for several years now, the police stations have received no such support from the city administration. As a result, detainees have been surviving on shared meals with their guards—an arrangement that has also recently collapsed.

A parliamentary committee presented the issue of the prisoners’ food crisis before the Puntland Parliament at the end of last year, but the legislature has so far taken no action to address the situation.