Suffering Child
Weheleey Osman Haji gave birth after trekking for 22 days, still far from help
What is happening in Somalia is a tragedy. That is the result of a stack of issues: climate change, rising food prices, and instability of the country for decades. The previous drought was experienced by Somalia in 19 years ago. The United Nations has declared the extraordinary events in Somalia as famine. This country is experiencing the most severe drought in the period of half a century.
One-day-old Iisha's name loosely translates as "life"
The journey from Liboi to Dadaab can take some people up to four days
Since the beginning of 2011, around 15,000 Somalis each month have fled into refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia looking for food and water. The refugee camp at Dadaab, in Kenya, has been overwhelmed by 370,000 people.
Farmers unable to meet their basic food costs are abandoning their herds. High cereal and fuel prices had already forced them to sell many animals before the drought and their smaller herds are now unprofitable or dying.
The refugee problem may have been preventable. However, violent conflict in the region has deterred international investment in long-term development programmes, which may have reduced the effects of the drought.
Development aid would focus on reducing deforestation, topsoil erosion and overgrazing and improving water conservation. New roads and infrastructure for markets would help farmers increase their profits.
The UN says that the humanitarian situation has deteriorated rapidly. The worse thing is the humanitarian aid from several countries and institutions is difficult to enter. United Nations and the United States are struggling to ask the armed group Al Shabaab permit and ensure the staff and the help can come in and given to those in need.
To note, since 2009, Al Shabaab has blocked access to foreign institutions to enter their territory terotial. Lately there is a little leeway.
The result of climate conditions, conflict and lack of investment is that 6.7 million people in Kenya and Ethiopia are currently existing on food rations, and relief agencies estimate 2.6 million in Somalia will need assistance a new emergency operation.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Mark Bowden said the assistance was given to the camp under the Islamist group al-Shabab based on humanitarian principles. He said this could be done during the assistance was provided by humanitarian principles. He described the situation very poorly, so it was important to improve relief operations in Somalia.
Al-Shabab which controlled the area of southern and central Somalia has banned the foreign aid agency two years ago because they were regarded as anti-Islamic. But they have lifted the ban 10 days ago for the group that "has no secret agenda".
Mark Bowden said the aid was sent to a camp ran by a committee under the supervision of al-Shabaab which was known to support the al-Qaeda. But he insisted that this could only be done for humanitarian assistance that was given without any political intent.
America itself has promised to send a U.S. $ 5 million from U.S. $ 63 million budgeted aid package. Reuben Brigety said that Washington was studying how to provide more help. "A great nation can do more than one thing at the same time and is taken the United States, even in the context of the financial challenges we face," said Brigety.
Over the last few days, Brigety has visited camps in Ethiopia and Kenya, and spoke with refugees in the camp. Mother and children were walking there for days into the camp just to get a little food or water. Those in the camps were also at risk of malnutrition.
Ten million people in Africa affected and required immediate assistance, including 2.85 million in Somalia - where 1 in 3 children suffers from malnutrition. Overall mortality rate in refugee camps in Ethiopia is currently at seven people out of 10,000 per day. In a circumstances of normal crisis, that death occured only two of 10 thousand people.
In Dadaab Kenya, the world's largest refugee camp, Brigety met a mother with her six children, including her seventh child who was stricken with polio.
The humanitarian problem is made worse by ongoing conflicts, which means that until July militant groups had only allowed aid organisations limited access to large parts of southern Somalia and eastern Ethiopia.
The UN refugee agency estimated that nearly one-half million Somalis were forced to leave their homes but remained inside the country. If the rains does not immediately fall in the near future, the food crisis in the region will require more sacrifice. According to the UNHCR in Dadaab, the crisis swelled and threatened about 440 thousand people in the camp.
Meanwhile, according to a spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO) Tarek Jasarevic in the past month at least 462 measles cases were detected, including 11 confirmed deaths in the refugee camp.
Food shortages are affecting up to 12 million people. The UN has not declared a famine but large areas of the region are now classified as in crisis or emergency, with malnutrition affecting up to 35-40% of children under five.
Save the Children said they had started to drain the milk donations for severely malnourished children at the camp. With the increasing number of refugees, it is estimated the refugee camp will soon be food shortages.
"In terms of the number of people affected, this is one of the world's worst drought that occurs in a long time," said Duncan Harvey, representative of Save the Children in Ethiopia.
Reading For Today:
► Save the children : Africa Drought Sparks Food Shortage Child Hunger and Humanitarian Crisis
► Irishtimes : Haunting horror of Somalia's starving people
► Godsdirectcontact : The Truth behind Your Food
► BBC : Somalis seeking refuge in Kenya: Your stories
► WFP: Horn of Africa: A Family Arrives In Dadaab
► WFP more : Hunger in the news
► ASIL-pdf: Famine Crimes in International Law
► Save the children : Africa Drought Sparks Food Shortage Child Hunger and Humanitarian Crisis
► Irishtimes : Haunting horror of Somalia's starving people
► Godsdirectcontact : The Truth behind Your Food
► BBC : Somalis seeking refuge in Kenya: Your stories
► WFP: Horn of Africa: A Family Arrives In Dadaab
► WFP more : Hunger in the news
► ASIL-pdf: Famine Crimes in International Law
In an increasingly pale and shivering country : maintaining the level of spirit is more important than just excitement. And, eager for good is the best spirit.
Reading For Today :
► http://www.africawaterweek.org/about
► http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5645823-146/350_million_africans_lack_access_to.csp
► http://www.afdb.org/en/news-events/article/afdb-to-launch-water-sector-governance-in-africa-report-7495/
► http://www.ugo.com.pl/
Valentino Vie, Pranay Suresh, CieL- FreYa Ceastle and 2 others like this.
Adriaan Zef : The biggest problem regarding water supply is not just the problem of scarcity of water compared with population, but from the error to determine new policies on water and aware of the problems after the result of unwanted come true. So even if additional investment in this sector is needed, adding it should be coupled with changes. The main priority must be the most sensible way of utilization of the huge investment that has been planted in this sector every year.
Lakshmi Lavanya : Malaysia also experienced shortage of water supplies around the Klang valley in 1997, as well the problem of water pollution every year.
Cisca Zarmansyah : Dear Anya, now other countries with large population like China, India and US also begins to experience the similar problems. FAO has warned that at least five billion people will live in a very poor area of clean water in 2025. More than half of world's population will live in a drought, scavenge the remaining fish and penetrate into the coastal territory that has been polluted over the last 50 years. Uncontrolled waste and poor water management policy is a major cause of all these problems, mainly occurring in developing countries. (UNEP report in collaboration with more than 200 experts of world water resources)
CieL- FreYa Ceastle : Here it is! A continent full of adversity and crisis everywhere. National crisis, identity crisis, multiethnic crisis, religions crisis until the environmental crisis. Tsk!
Cisca Zarmansyah : Jan, there are water towers of peace to Sudan. You can contact Hugon Kowalski directly by coming to his site.
Pranay Suresh : I wonder, Sudan is the third largest oil producer in Africa. It produces about 500 thousand barrels per day. Most of them are exported to China. The money from petroleum economy sustains both the south and north, but the oil rich southern region stagnated in poverty.
Cisca Zarmansyah : The definition has not been completed, Nay. The same problem experienced in the north. Currently, this area is dominated by a handful of elites who use religion and war to build a dictatorship. President Omar Al Bashir has been one of the most oppressive rulers in Sudan. When war appeared to be ending, he could loosen his grip and be democratic by being received various classes, or he could use the oil wealth to strengthen his power.
Lakshmi Lavanya : Malaysia also experienced shortage of water supplies around the Klang valley in 1997, as well the problem of water pollution every year.
Cisca Zarmansyah : Dear Anya, now other countries with large population like China, India and US also begins to experience the similar problems. FAO has warned that at least five billion people will live in a very poor area of clean water in 2025. More than half of world's population will live in a drought, scavenge the remaining fish and penetrate into the coastal territory that has been polluted over the last 50 years. Uncontrolled waste and poor water management policy is a major cause of all these problems, mainly occurring in developing countries. (UNEP report in collaboration with more than 200 experts of world water resources)
CieL- FreYa Ceastle : Here it is! A continent full of adversity and crisis everywhere. National crisis, identity crisis, multiethnic crisis, religions crisis until the environmental crisis. Tsk!
Cisca Zarmansyah : Jan, there are water towers of peace to Sudan. You can contact Hugon Kowalski directly by coming to his site.
Pranay Suresh : I wonder, Sudan is the third largest oil producer in Africa. It produces about 500 thousand barrels per day. Most of them are exported to China. The money from petroleum economy sustains both the south and north, but the oil rich southern region stagnated in poverty.
Cisca Zarmansyah : The definition has not been completed, Nay. The same problem experienced in the north. Currently, this area is dominated by a handful of elites who use religion and war to build a dictatorship. President Omar Al Bashir has been one of the most oppressive rulers in Sudan. When war appeared to be ending, he could loosen his grip and be democratic by being received various classes, or he could use the oil wealth to strengthen his power.
The 10 Poorest Countries In The World: Oxford University-U.N. (PHOTOS)
www.huffingtonpost.com
Sub-Saharan Africa is the poorest region in the world, followed by South Asia, according to a new measure developed by Oxford University, with support from the U.N. The measure, called the Multidimensional Poverty Index, or MPI, will replace the Human Poverty Index in the United Nations
Somalia's al-Shabab bans mixed-sex handshakes (Religious Right Watch) www.religiousrightwatch.com
Men and women have been banned from shaking hands in a district of Somalia controlled by the Islamist group al-Shabab. Under the ban imposed in the southern town of Jowhar, men and women who are not related are also barred...
Africa | Radio Netherlands Worldwide
www.rnw.nl
Zanzibar's preparations for carbon trade helping poor - AlertNet
www.trust.org
Wood-conserving stoves and new income sources are helping villagers reduce their reliance on threatened forests
World must act to stop to attacks on health workers
edition.cnn.com
Geneva (CNN) -- Nineteen-year-old Omar is an extraordinary young man.
The More Recent News
(Added by me on Monday, August 15, 2011)
'All guilty' in Somalia conflict
www.bbc.co.uk
Human Rights Watch says all sides involved in Somalia's conflict are guilty of serious violations of international law, and criticises the West for inaction.
Al-Shabab rebels withdraw from Somali capital
english.aljazeera.net
Fighters pull back overnight from Mogadishu as spokesman says there would be no pull out from other regions.
Reading For Today
Prime Minister's Speech to the UN Security Counci
www.somaliweyn.org
Let me congratulate you for resuming the President of the Security Council for this month. Let me equally, also congratulate the able leadership for the President of the Security Council last month.
SOMALIA: The Puntland State Minister for Planning and International Cooperation meets High Ranking E
www.raxanreeb.com
The Puntland State Minister for Planning and International Cooperation Prof. Abdulkadir Abdi Hashi concluded a four- day visit to the Netherlands and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland where he held talks with senior Ministers from the governments of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom respectively following official invitations he received from the two countries.
New Police Academy Opens in Somalia
content.undp.org
Sandra Macharia, Information Officer, UNDP Somalia, Tel: (254 20) 4183640/2; Fax: (254 20) 4183641; E-mail: sandra.macharia@undp.org
Prime Minister's Speech to the UN Security Counci
www.somaliweyn.org
Let me congratulate you for resuming the President of the Security Council for this month. Let me equally, also congratulate the able leadership for the President of the Security Council last month.
SOMALIA: The Puntland State Minister for Planning and International Cooperation meets High Ranking E
www.raxanreeb.com
The Puntland State Minister for Planning and International Cooperation Prof. Abdulkadir Abdi Hashi concluded a four- day visit to the Netherlands and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland where he held talks with senior Ministers from the governments of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom respectively following official invitations he received from the two countries.
New Police Academy Opens in Somalia
content.undp.org
Sandra Macharia, Information Officer, UNDP Somalia, Tel: (254 20) 4183640/2; Fax: (254 20) 4183641; E-mail: sandra.macharia@undp.org
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