The Horn of Africa is still in the news but not in the headlines. This time it is the case of Somalia whose tale of human tragedy has taken a new turn as millions of its population sit on the brink of malnutrition and death. But who cares?
The country is deep in the throes of hunger, and poverty has taken a toll in all walks of socio-economic life. In addition, its unending political strife that has denied the east African country of its future is adding to its misery.
The recent report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that a quarter of Somalis are either displaced within the country or living outside as refugees is quite disturbing.
UN?Special Adviser Professor Jeffery Sachs recently blamed Western nations for causing the hunger that is ravaging thousands of people in many countries in Africa, including Kenya. He blamed the drought on human-induced climate change driven by the industrialised countries in the West.
The worst drought in 60 years has literally compounded the scale of violence in Somalia and beyond. The mass exodus that is visible on its borders with Ethiopia and deep into the Middle East across the Suez and Europe is characterized as a “strategic issue of a dying nation”.
Something serious needs to be done as this human catastrophe cannot be addressed by piecemeal measures. The situation is worrying and the so-called civilized world continues to watch as innocent people continue dying like cattle.
Appeals for famine relief are just not enough. In real terms, millions of people face severe shortages of food as the worst drought in the region in six decades has left farmlands arid and bare without water, as the scorching sun decimates pasture land and kills livestock.
The situation is so dire that it is going to require millions and perhaps billions of dollars to alleviate the suffering of the refugees. A British charity recently started an appeal but it is merely a drop in the ocean, considering the magnitude and intensity of the drought.
The UN’s concern is not in isolation.
It has been supplemented by warnings from British aid agencies Oxfam, Save The Children and the Red Cross, calling for immediate food supplies and other accessories for over 12 million people in the continent.
However, what the aid agencies are seeking is not a big deal. It is merely a figure of US$150 million. It goes without saying that considerably more sums are being wasted on bombings and sorties being dropped by NATO over Libya across the continent.
As it stands, thousands of refugees will continue to pour into Kenya and this looming humanitarian disaster will never be solved until a functional government is in place in Somalia. Sadly, the worst is yet to come and the world remains indifferent.