From EDITOR'S Desk
September 05, 2011
SOMALIA NEWS - Somalia is suffering the worst. In sixty years this is the worst drought in the country. In last 3 months about 29,000 children have died, and in next few weeks about 100,000 more Somalis are expected to die. Who is responsible? Is it only famine that have destroyed the country to such an extent?
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda affiliate, has destroyed Somalia.
The Taliban-like organization has imposed strict Sharia law in the country taking over much of southern Somalia territory. It disallows all those humanitarian organizations which are associated in any way with the Western world in aiding the starving Somalis.
In January 2010, the al-Shabab expelled World Food Programme of United Nation. The group accused the programme being a United States proxy.
Is United States to be blamed for the famine?
United Nation has described the country for past several years as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. About 11.8 million people across "Horn of Africa" - eastern peninsula of Africa including Somalia, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti - have been affected of this crisis.
Somalia's current population is about 9.9 million, and one quarter of it has been displaced. About 1,500 people are escaping every day across the border in Kenya, in a refugee camp there. According to United Nation, more than 3.7 million people there need food and water, and it includes 1.25 million children. The United Nation data further reveals that 63% of southern Somalia is either starving or is at risk of starvation. The situation is far worst because only 20% of the people are being reached by relief workers.
In the present situation, a war is undergoing between the Federal Transitional Government (FTG) and al-Shabab. The group, which loosely translates as "the youth," enforces Sharia law and ruthlessly murders anyone trying taking over Somalia. The FTG is being supported by African Union troops and the West.
The biggest disadvantage of humanitarian aid is Al-Shabab stealing away all for feeding its militants, and even selling the aids to enable the fighting run longer and to continue it unending. A big question arises for the International community whether to continue the humanitarian aid.
The recent statement of Sheikh Muktar Abu Zubeir, leader of al-Shabab, says - "Aid agencies and some countries declared famine and pretend they want to help you. They do so for these reasons: for trade purposes, to convert you from your religion and to colonise you."
Are Somalis dying because of famine?
Are they dying because of the terror group preventing relief from getting to Somalis?
There are many regions around the world that suffer from drought but those regions cope up with the situation without ending up in famine. Even southern U.S. faces drought.
The U.S., so far, has provided more than $600 million aid support to Somalia, which is the highest than aids of any country. Way back in 2008 Washington designated al-Shabab to be a terrorist organization, and made it illegal to providing any aid to areas in control of the group. Even two charities were barred from drilling a bore hole as the water could be used by al-Shabab.
With all the blames on U.S. by critics, the state Department states to relax enforcement against charities providing humanitarian aid in Somalia. More to this, U.S. Agency for International Development announced further of providing additional $23 million to the Horn of Africa. Somalia alone gets $10 million from this amount.
Since 1969 the country has been in turmoil when military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre seized the control. He brought element of Islamic rule into the government. However, in 1991 his government collapsed and till date the country is suffering from getting any central government control.
Somalia gained independence in 1960 from western colonialists.
In 1993 a U.S. humanitarian effort was made with the U.N. to provide aid. It was the earlier days of draught. In the effort eighteen troops were killed in Somalia by militants, backed by Osama bin Laden. The situation and incidence have been documented in a movie named Blackhawk Down.
The Somalia-based operation of Laden blew up U.S. embassies in 1998 in Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Kenya. In the bombings 320 people were killed. In 2009 U.S. found and killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, top al-Qaeda operative behind the bombings.
By 2008 the terror group colluded with the Somali pirates for stealing ransoms and bounties. Now Somalia is in shambles with most of the infrastructures wiped out including schools and landline phones.
What should be done about Somalia?
