![]() ![]() During the period, January–June 2011, refugee flows from Somalia to Kenya and Ethiopia increased substantially (UNHCR, 2011). The onset of the 2011 Gu rains, usually occurring from April to June, was then delayed by 3–4 weeks, resulting in a poor primary cropping season, reduced labor demand, excess livestock mortality, further increases in prices of local staple foods, and deterioration in food security, nutrition and mortality indicators. In March 2011, FEWS NET, FSNAU/FAO and WFP first raised the possibility of famine occurring in marginal cropping areas of southern Somalia (FEWS NET, 2011). The subsequent failure of the October–December Deyr (short) rains resulted in extremely poor January harvests, an extended dry season and substantial pressure on local cereal prices. In August 2010, FEWS NET released the first warning that drought was likely (FEWS NET, 2010). For a period after late 2009, the US Government ceased providing assistance because of fears that aid could be diverted to Al-Shabaab, a proscribed group under the US Patriot Act, and later imposed conditionality on any assistance (Ibrahim, 2010). The World Food Programme (WFP), in particular, closed down much of its operation in January of 2010. Since early 2010, much of southern Somalia has been inaccessible to most non-Somali humanitarian actors. Together these initiatives aim to provide reliable early warning information on nutrition, food security and livelihoods, and to inform planning and response for Somalia. These were the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU), a multi-donor project now managed by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Somalia and the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). In order to learn lessons from that famine and other food security crises in the Horn of Africa, as well as develop reliable early warning and surveillance systems, two important projects focused on Somalia were initiated in 1995. That crisis prompted the US-led military intervention, Operation Restore Hope, and an accompanying humanitarian response that had mixed success around 70% of the approximately 200,000 deaths that occurred were deemed preventable (Hansch et al., 1994). Somalia has suffered famine previously, the most severe occurring in 1991–1992. Somalia is also the most dangerous place in the world for aid workers two-thirds of all aid workers deaths recorded worldwide in 2008 were in Somalia (Bradbury, 2010). Indeed, Somalia has some of the worst development indicators in the world (UNICEF, 2011) and has been described as ‘the most failed state’ (Anderson, 2009). The conflict has compounded vulnerabilities, undermining both traditional coping strategies as well as the informal economy that have sustained the population in the past (Anderson, 2009). As of early 2011, the internationally recognized Transitional Federal Government (TFG) controlled only a small part of the country, while the Islamist Al-Shabaab group controlled much of the south of the country. In addition, since the outbreak of conflict in 1991, no government has been able to exert control over the majority of Somalia's territory. Somalia, along with several other countries in the Horn of Africa face recurrent food insecurity as a result of drought, climactic variations and conflict (UNICEF, 2011). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |