June 13 (Bloomberg) -- The World Food Programme said it has two weeks to find a naval escort service to protect shipments of life-saving rations to Somalia from pirates.

A frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy is scheduled to finish safeguarding WFP food deliveries to the East African country on June 25, the Rome-based United Nations agency said in a statement on its Web site yesterday. About 80 percent of food aid for Somalia arrives by sea and the WFP plans to ship 220,000 metric tons between June and December.

``Without escorts, our whole maritime supply route will be threatened,'' Peter Goossens, WFP's representative to Somalia, said in the statement. ``Shipping companies are reluctant to sail unescorted to Somalia, and we have no offers to take over from the Royal Netherlands Navy.''

Somalia is facing its worst humanitarian crisis in a decade due to an escalating conflict and food and water shortages caused by drought and rising commodity prices. More than 2.6 million Somalis need food aid, the UN said last month. That number may climb to as many as 3.5 million, almost half the population, by the end of the year, Somalia's Food Security Analysis Unit said in May.

``If relief shipments slow down, we could face a major catastrophe,'' Goossens said. Without ``urgent'' food contributions, WFP will run out of supplies in September, the agency said.

French, Danish and Dutch frigates have protected 27 ships loaded with 112,500 tons of WFP food from pirates during the past seven months, the agency said. The International Maritime Bureau has recorded 31 attacks in Somali waters this year, WFP said, adding that none of its ships was targeted.

People Displaced

The escalation of conflict and civil insecurity in parts of southern Somalia, especially in the capital, Mogadishu, prompted thousands of people to flee to surrounding regions, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization said on May 12. The number of displaced people from Mogadishu has also increased by 21 percent since January to an estimated 1.1 million, the FAO said.

Somalia has been without a functioning central government since the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis have been displaced within the country by fighting between Islamists and government forces, which are supported by Ethiopian soldiers. High food prices and inflation are worsening the crisis, the International Committee of the Red Cross said last week.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jason Gale in Singapore at j.gale@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: June 12, 2008 22:24 EDT