As the tragic famine and drought escalates in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia, a militant group, connected to Al Qaeda announced this morning that it will not allow humanitarian aid from the west to reach the starving, or let aid groups into the areas.
The Associated Press, reports in the Boston Globe, that Militants in Somalia reject aid groups: Massive famine threatens lives of 800,000 kids
If you would like to see a heart breaking photo series guaranteed to make you cry follow this link to Holbrook Andrew Holbrooke - click on Somalia
MOGADISHU, Somalia - Al Qaeda-linked militants in Somalia vowed to keep most international aid workers out of the country despite a worsening famine, and the UN warned yesterday that 800,000 children could die in the region from starvation.
Frustrated aid groups said they want to deploy more food assistance in Somalia but do not have the necessary safety guarantees to do so. The anarchic country has been mired in conflict for two decades and its capital is a war zone.
The renewed threat from Al Shabab means that only a handful of agencies will be able to respond to the hunger crisis in militant-controlled areas of southern Somalia. And the largest provider of food aid - the UN World Food Program - is not among those allowed inside.
This breaking news, about militant vowing to block aid, comes after our EcoJustice Team worked through the night to being you the sad, and tragic story of the famine and drought in the East Horn of Africa, in a series of diaries started by Boatsie, with a series, referenced in this most recent one by myself, Worst Drought in 60 Years Brings Famine To Millions in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Aid is Blocked In which several of our editors provide excellent background
Boatsie wrote foundation dairy, early yesterday morning, calling our attention to this crisis. Somalia: This is the Children's Famine.
JamieG from MD, for the Daily Kos Free Rice Team Previous diaries in this series are listed below.
As, I woke up this morning to run to a meeting, I tried at first to splice this story into the already too long one I did on the conditions on the ground just a few hours ago, so decided to split this story out as a Part 2. With several additional reports that I will add, as soon as I, or others can.
Back to the Globe story"
“If we are to save lives, we need to act now, to bring in massive quantities of medicines, vaccines, nutrition supplies into the region as quickly as we are able and then get them out to the children who need it most,’’ said Shanelle Hall, director of UNICEF’s supply division.
Somalia is the most dangerous country in the world to work in, according to the UN’s World Food Program, which has lost 14 relief workers in the past few years. WFP pulled out of Islamist-controlled southern Somalia after rebels demanded cash payments and other concessions.
Al Shabab began to ban aid agencies in 2009, fearing the groups could host spies or promote a way of life contrary to Islamic beliefs. ...
But yesterday, spokesman Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage said aid agencies the group had previously banned are still barred from operating in areas under its control. He said the UN’s declaration of famine in parts of Somalia this week is politically motivated and “pure propaganda."
Somalia’s prolonged drought devolved into famine in part because neither the Somali government nor many aid agencies can fully operate in areas controlled by Al Shabab.
This shocking, callous, and unacceptable blocking of humanitarian food relief during a war, is a violation of the Geneva Conventions, and constitutes a war crime.
I'm an not an interventionist by nature, but here we might have a valid case for UN intervention. Somalia is a failed state and millions of people are starving. I've only had a few minutes to examine this latest data, and it is discouraging indeed. I look forward to what the rest of you think should be done here.
The following links, facts, and sources are from Boatsie's excellent diary, which can be linked from this previous one to this.
East Africa Famine Facts
• 12 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance
• Over 2 million children under the age of five who are suffering from malnutrition; 480,000 are severely malnourished
• UN declares famine in two regions of southern Somalia
• Women are disproportionally affected by the drought as they are the last to eat when food is limited.
• Aid response nearly $1 billion short of what is needed
What is a Famine
Most major aid agencies - the FAO, the WFP, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, Save the Children UK, CARE International, the European Commission Joint Research Centre and Oxfam - only describe a crisis as a famine when the situation on the ground reaches level five on the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) system. This means:
* at least 20% of the population has access to fewer than 2,100 kilocalories of food a day
* acute malnutrition in more than 30% of children
* two deaths per 10,000 people, or four child deaths per 10,000 children every day
There are three different categories of famine -- supply-based, food consumption-based and mortality-based -- and five definitions: (See Wikipedia: Famine Scales). The Levels range from Level 1 (Food Secure) to Level 5 (Extreme Famine). Currently, the UN has established a Level 3 (Famine) exists: a situation in which mortality rate ranges from 5-10,000 per day.
Resources
•BBC: What you Need to Know
• Q&A: BBC
• Al Jazeera Horn of Africa (english)
• How Bad is the Horn of Africa Drought: AlertNet Q&A:
• PBS Newshour: PhotoEssay: 7/11
• Guardian Interactive Horn of Africa Drought Map
• Why doesn't a drought go away when it rains?
• Oxfam: Food crisis in Wajir, Kenya
Coverage @ KOS
This is the latest in a series of diaries covering the Horn Of Africa Crisis. Please provide links in comments below to other diaries omitted from coverage below. This series is being run through the Ecojustice Group.
The Troubador on 7/22: My Cousins are about to Die
rebel ga on 7/18: Worst Drought In 60 Years For Somalia, Kenya And Ethiopia!
boatsie on 7/14: East Africa Drought: You say La Niña & I'll say ... HELP!
boatsie on 7/12: East Africa: Famine II
boatsie on 7/11: Famine Threatens 11 Million in Horn of Africa
GlowNZ on Sunday, 7/10: People are Starving
Stranded Wind on Sunday, 7/10: Somalia's Dying Time
HELP
• WFT: 10 Ways You Can Help
• The World Food Programme: Fill the Cup: (THE WFP needs $200 million just to meet this year's needs in the Horn of Africa.)
• Care International
• MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES
• UNICEF: Donate to Save Children in Horn of Africa Crisis
• FreeRice- donates 10 grains of rice to the WFP for each answer you answer correctly.
• The HungerSite - Click to give free food.
Social Media
Twitter: #HornofAfrica, #drought, #famine
Facebook: Horn of Africa
MapSourcing
Regional Drought Response Plan: East Africa Droughts.
Please support our Daily Kos efforts to give compassion and humanitarian aid to our brothers and sisters, in so much need.
Thanks,
HoundDog