Drought and starvation Click a picture to enhance it. Blue text = a clickable link
PerspectivesI know little about Somalia. I've not been there. Therefore to expand my knowedge and try to understand why predictors are raising alarms, I've plucked a short extract from each of three or four reliable websites that focus on this type of life issues. And I want to share what they say now, rather than bemoan calamity after it happens. World Food Programme - August 2022'After a gradual recovery from the food insecurity and famine of 2011, Somalia’s food security is once again under threat. The situation is worsening in rural areas following consecutive seasons of poor rainfall and low river water levels. These have resulted in near total crop failures, reduced rural employment opportunities, widespread shortage of water and pasture – with consequent increases in livestock deaths. As local staple food prices continue to rise sharply and livestock prices decrease significantly, access to food is rapidly diminishing among poor families. As of August 2022, 7.1 million people cannot meet their daily food requirements today and require urgent humanitarian assistance, with more than 200,000 facing catastrophic hunger. An estimated 1.5 million children under 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, of which 386,000 face a high risk of disease and death.' UNICEF - MOGADISHU, 12 April 2022
'This is nearly a two-fold increase in the number of people facing extreme levels of acute food insecurity due to the drought and related shocks since the beginning of the year. It reflects a rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation, as millions of Somalis have exhausted their ability to cope with the crisis and funding shortfalls mean humanitarians will be unable to meet the needs of the growing number of people facing emergency.' The Conversation - 17 October 2022Somalia is home to 16 million people and has a rich history back to before the Roman Empire. Somali people were producing beautiful rock art in the third millennium BC, trading with Ancient Egypt and establishing important masjids and mosques in Mogadishu from the 7th and 13th Centuries onwards. Despite historic levels of drought and hunger, Somali civil society continues to find ways to support people at risk of starvation. But additional help is needed. To date, the international community has largely failed the Somali population. In 2022, the risk of famine should not exist. (Pic fromRelief Web) (The Conversation Australia and New Zealand, according to their own declaration, is a unique collaboration between academics and journalists that is the world’s leading publisher of research-based news and analysis.) Relief Web -15 August 2022
with poor access to critical services, and are often at risk of eviction by landowners. A total of 6.4 million people lack access to safe water and sanitation, and 6.5 million people lack access to adequate healthcare. Poor sanitation and communicable diseases, including cholera and measles outbreaks, have resulted in 16 confirmed deaths and left thousands of people sick this year. Drought conditions also threatens to increase the risk of violent conflict over resources and grazing land in rural areas where populations are less prepared to deal with extreme weather events.' [ReliefWeb, according to its own definition, is a humanitarian information service provided by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).] The New Humanitarian - September 2022
Dr Hodan Ali, a person very familiar with death from malutrition and famine, has four reommendations for improvement of the system of humanitarian aid.
(The New Humanitarian is an independent non-profit newsroom with a mission to put journalism at the service of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world.) To think aboutThere is a lot to think about. In addition to the drought and food shortage, governance is uncertain. In the central south, al-Shabaab, an Al Qaeda related group, holds sway in places, disrupting federal and local government. And some other regions have strongly seperatist feelings. So problems abound but I hope, that we won't dismiss Somalia and its people as too far away and too hard. Here is an email I am sending to my local Member of Parliament, Greg O'Conner Dear Mr O'Conner I write to ask you to press the Government to effectively send aid to Somalia to help forestall and prevent the looming starvation tragedy there, largely caused by recurring droughts. Thank you John McInnes Wherever in the world you are, if you feel passionate about trying to avoid tragedy, maybe you'd like to send this same message to your local democratic representative. It may do good! □ John McInnes Friday 21 October 2022 ##########
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