The only way that many people in Somalia survive is from money wired  to them from relatives in Minnesota. That life line was cut when the US  government pressured banks to stop accepting the wire transfers, fearing the money could be going to terrorist organizations. Now the Somali  community is threatening to take its money out of those banks unless  they allow wire transfers to famine areas in Somalia.

Saturday  night, members of the Somali community and allied partners hosted a  large-scale public meeting regarding the ongoing funds-transfer crisis.

Elected officials, faith leaders and community members talked about the  urgent need for a solution in order to alleviate hardship caused by the  continued inability for Somali Americans to send money to their loved  ones in the East African nation.
One organizer of the event told the Uptake that Minnesota Somalis will  start taking their money out of Wells Fargo Bank on May 11th unless the  bank agrees to help send money to Somalia. He says more than 1,000  people attended Saturday night’s event.

Source:

Twin Cities Planet