Case Study Somalia Famine

In 2011 there was extended drought in the horn of Africa and Somalia was the worse effected. The combination of this drought and the conflict that had been going on for 20 years cause people to leave the country in mass, around 3,000 people a day, to get to refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Causes Political

Most of southern Somalia is controlled by the al-Schwab Salamis group, which refused international aid organizations, including the World Food Programmer, entry to Its areas two years ago, only lifting the ban last week Somalia is a failed state. Is means there is a government but they don’t really have control over a majority of the country and without a stable government there would be no one to coordinate aid programmers as soon as the drought started to take hold which would have prevented many deaths The US suspended aid due to fears that it would reach Al- Schwab.

Economic/social

Food prices for everyday food, such as sorghum, have tripled In price due to the conflict and the lack of supply.

Money would have been directed toward the conflict instead of agriculture Malnourished people can’t work well due to tiredness, nakedness and lack of concentration due to hunger, this means the bread winners of families wouldn’t be able to provide resulting in the malnourishment worsening Population growth fertility rate of 6.28.

Environmental

There was severe drought in the horn of Africa in 2009 causing crops to fail and therefore animals to die, there was up to 90% animal mortality in some areas.

Strange weather conditions over the Pacific Ocean including a very strong La Nina caused great disruption to the seasonal weather. Consequences The famine cause the country to be in the spot light of the world press which drew attention to the political situation, as a result of this in 2012 western countries helped reinstate the Somali government. Al-Schwab killed and kidnapped aid workers, taxed humanitarian food shipments, and banned assistance to starving people for a period of time.

Economic

Around half of Southern Somalia’s teachers wouldn’t return to their schools after reopening due to the population movement being permanent, this will mean less educated adults in the future and less adults all together As a result of the famine up o 200,000 will not return to school due to the effects of the famine which worsens the 33% primary enrolment rate, this will affect the economy in the future due to uneducated adults Social: Malnutrition rose by 50% in South Somalia, people only has access to 4 litter of water and 2100 kcal a day Increased HIVE rates in refugee camps due to increased sexual violence towards refugees The effects of famine can effect young children in later life as it effects their development for example to be able to learn basic innumeracy and literacy skill therefore their later opportunities and education On average those who flee to a refugee camp will live there for an average of 17 years which can be a lifetime for children who were displaced or born in the camps. Families would have suffered terrible loses, 260,000 people died and half of them were under the age of 5 years old There was mass migration, around 700,000 people, to Ethiopia and Kenya fleeing from the drought, famine and conflict, many had to walk sass of miles to reach safety.

Responses Nags

The red cross and red crescent distributed food to 16000 people in the first 2 months The British red cross donated IEEE,OHO to the aid operation KEA donated $62 million o Kenya over 3 years The World Food programmer were rapid in their response, they offered food to millions during the famine. They also provided vaccines and medical assistance in returnee camps. I Nils was In order to combat ten console, measles Ana acute malnutrition which was a serious risk in refugee camps at the time The UK aided over 1 million Somalia’s by providing food, shelter, clean water, nutrition and livelihoods so that they could survive the merciless famine. The US was one of the greatest contributors to the famine, contributing around half a billion dollars.