The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) denies a statement made August 9 in Somalia that it is attempting to proselytize through its humanitarian work.

The statement, issued by the governing body of south-central Somalia, Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen (Movement of Warrior Youth), declares that ADRA and two other international non-governmental organizations, World Vision and Diakonia, can no longer operate inside the country because they are "acting as missionaries under the guise of humanitarian work the organizations have been spreading their corrupted ideologies in order to taint the pure creed of the Muslims in Somalia," al-Shabab said."

ADRA expects that the order to close its operations in the south-central part of Somalia will adversely affect more than 180,000 people living in the regions of Bakool, Bay, and Hiraan where the agency is working to build and rehabilitate wells, provide livelihoods, and increase access to education.

As a global international humanitarian organization, ADRA is a signatory of the Code of Conduct for The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief, which states that "aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint", that "aid is given regardless of the race, creed, or nationality", and that organizations "shall respect culture and custom." Based on this code of conduct, ADRA implements programs that directly improve the long-term development of vulnerable people.

Due to its global humanitarian work in more than 120 countries worldwide, ADRA has established a reputation for working in harmony with and respecting a broad array of cultures, traditions, and beliefs. The positive impact of ADRA's contributions in all these countries validates the agency’s heritage and belief in benevolent giving.

Since 1992, ADRA’s work in Somalia has focused solely on implementing emergency relief and development interventions through various sectors, including water, sanitation, food security, education, health, infrastructure, institutional capacity building, agricultural support, and economic development. In 2008 alone, more than 650,000 Somalis benefitted from ADRA’s humanitarian work, which is located in various regions in northern and south-central Somalia. ADRA remains committed to serving the people of Somalia as circumstances allow.

ADRA is a global non-governmental organization providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity.

World Vision Somalia's spokeswoman, Amanda Koech, said that her organization was surprised to receive al-Shabab's order to close down. Al-Shabab militants occupied the group's offices in the southern Somali towns of Duale, Baidoa and Wajid, she said. World Vision has asked its staff to remain at home for now.

"World Vision is a Christian organization motivated by Christian values to help the needy in the society. While World Vision recognizes the need to remain impartial in responding to the needy, by policy World Vision is prohibited to proselytize in its work," Koech said in a statement.

Koech said World Vision does not have any international staff in southern Somalia. All World Vision staff in that part of the Horn of Africa nation are Somalis and primarily Muslim, she said.