Somalia’s low rains, internal conflict threatening food recovery efforts

Somalia’s famine recovery efforts are being threatened by poor and late rains, and internal political conflict.  

Besides being hit with low rainfall, infighting among political factions continues, leaving  widespread lawlessness in its wake, much of it opposing foreign aid to boost the country’s recovery. The country has not had an effective central government since 1991.

These conditions are disruptive to food production and distribution, and threaten to cause another famine. Last year alone, thousands of people died in East Africa, which suffered from the worst drought in 60 years. At one point, six districts of Somalia were declared famine zones last year.  

At the same time, international aid efforts have been vehemently opposed by Islamic militants who control the rural areas, forcing thousands of Somalis to seek refuge in the capital city of Mogadishu, or else to nearby Kenya and Ethiopia.  

Mogadishu is secured by African Union forces helping a UN-backed government. Still, militants opposed to foreign aid have been displayed on a website burning food in the central Hiran region, which they allegedly confiscated from the International Committee of the Red Cross.  

“We're going to have a very late harvest [due to the lack of rain],” Anne Mitaru of the charity Save the Children told the BBC network. The lack of a bountiful harvest, the mass displacement of Somalis, and the rebel-imposed prohibition of foreign aid, has raised the price of whatever food is available, and has accelerated the inability of families to recover.

The food crisis is most acute in southern regions of the country, where the al-Shabab militants – an al-Qaeda group – are strongest. Still, Save the Children has stated that it has provided aid to 3.4 million people through its East Africa Appeal initiative.  

However, the charity notes that children are particularly at risk, with more than 1 million children still facing  severe hunger in Somalia alone, and millions still vulnerable across the region, lacking  access to food, healthcare and education. Save the Children is appealing to the international community to help raise £35 million to bolster its recovery programmes.

Although the World Bank has assessed that outright famine is not anticipated, it has emphasized that the situation remains very serious.

*With files from the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18720207 and Save the Children http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/

 {N.A. Pierre is a freelance journalist, writer, and multi-media producer.}

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