The Wikitravel page for Somalia is, in a twisted way, hilarious.
This hilarity is due to the irony that such a guide exists for a place to which no one in their right mind would ever choose to travel. For those unaware, the nation of Somalia has been without an effective government for 20 years.
Wikitravel is an open source travel guide which anyone can edit (à la Wikipedia), and the entry for Somalia states clearly such words of wisdom as, “the easiest method for staying safe in Somalia is not to go in the first place. Kidnappings, armed clashes, piracy and warlording are all common in this country;” “While arranging your trip, it is advisable to request that you be accompanied by hired Somali armed escorts, or bring along bodyguards;” “The risk of your being injured, killed or captured is extremely high;” and simply, “Independent travel is suicidal.”
It should come as no surprise, then, that when a humanitarian conflict occurs, such as the current famine, international governments and aid organizations are somewhat slow to respond.
We have all heard the statistic countless times: There is enough food in the world to end hunger, but it is unfairly distributed. This statistic is useless, and it makes the false assumption that ending hunger in the world is as easy as flying food to the hungry, wherever they may be in the world.
The example in Somalia shows just how inaccessible the hungry can be. The famine stands to affect the lives of 13.3 million people by U.N. estimates, but the country is largely closed off to any aid the rest of the world could potentially offer.
Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-aligned terrorist organization in control of much of southern Somalia, has had a tricky relationship with aid organizations in the country, having kicked them out and welcomed them back several times.
The organization has also allegedly intimidated, kidnapped and killed some aid workers, leading to a partial suspension of humanitarian operations in southern Somalia. Many independent aid organizations have withdrawn from the region permanently and completely due to the uncertainty of operating in the area.
There is no easy solution to getting those who need aid out of the southern war-zone. Many die along the roads to the camps — either at the hands of hunger or as a casualty of violent warfare.
One solution would be armed military intervention to remove Al-Shabaab from the country and restore some semblance of order. Obviously, this move by any nation would be very unpopular, expensive and risky, though it would likely help improve a situation which could not get any worse.
A more realistic option is to be just that — realistic. Neither the U.N., the Red Cross or any one single government has the necessary means to end the famine or the hostile situation in Somalia.
But the little that can still be done should be done. Some Somalis are lucky enough to access a refugee camp in the north or are able to flee the nation entirely. Approximately 920,000 refugees have escaped to Ethiopia and Kenya. The best help that can seemingly be offered is the continued effort of the surrounding nations to provide for the refugees who flee across their borders.
Though the situation is bleak, it serves as an important and painful reminder of the political and complex factors involved in ending hunger in the world — factors which must be considered if the world is ever going to be able to reach its goal of eliminating hunger entirely.
Vinnie Schneider is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.
