UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Naval escorts from the Netherlands and NATO are providing protection for ships loaded with life-saving aid from the World Food Program (WFP) to Somalia.

    "More than 2 million Somalis could go hungry without this protection," the WFP said in its latest online update on the pirate-ridden waters off the coast of the Horn of Africa country, where the seizure of a weapon-laden Ukrainian ship made headlines earlier this year.

    No pirate attacks have been launched against ships loaded with WFP food, since the naval escort system began in November 2007, it said, adding that a total of 145,000 tons of food has since been shipped safely to the destination.

    According to the London-based International Maritime Bureau, there have been more than 80 pirate attacks so far this year, compared with 31 attacks in 2007, and more than 500 crew members have been taken hostage since the beginning of this year.

    NATO and Dutch naval vessels are now conducting escort missions to Somalia. With three naval vessels available for escorts, the WFP will have a succession of ships delivering food assistance.

    Somalia now requires 40,000 tons of WFP food every month. The WFP has planned to deliver another 150,000 tons of food by the end of this year to help more than 2.4 million Somalis there, which accounts for almost one quarter of the nation's population.

    On Nov. 10, European Union foreign ministers also agreed to dispatch five to seven frigates and support aircraft to Somalia in December to protect merchant ships and WFP vessels.