The Washington Post published on 27 May 2017 an article titled "In Somalia, Islamist Rebels Are Blocking Starving People from Getting Food" by Max Bearak.
Based on a visit to Somalia, the reporter concludes that al-Shabaab is blocking NGOs from delivering food to famine victims in areas controlled by al-Shabaab. At the same time, he quotes a UN security official who states that "al-Shabaab's biggest strength is that they are underestimated."