With Rainfall and Aid, the Number Facing Starvation in Somalia Drops by Half a Million

Since we have recently talked about the UN programs to help solve the major problems of the South, I chose this article which gives a pretty clear view of the importance of these kinds of aids.

First of all, Somalia has been struggling considerably since the collapse of its central government in 1991, the country is almost totally controlled by the Shabab (my previous post), a militant group that controls much of southern Somalia and that has been blocking aid agencies from reaching people in need.

These agencies have been scrambling to find ways to avoid the reach of the Shabab, even having to send money via cell phones so that people could survive and buy food in markets. The efforts seem to be working. According to a recent report , more food is flowing through markets and prices are falling. In addition to this, seasonal rainfall has also helped this country which relies mainly on its agriculture. Three regions of southern Somalia, Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle, which were famine zones a few months ago are now classified as one step less severe than a famine.

Going back to the UN programs, according to UN officials, the number of people facing imminent starvation in Somalia dropped to nearly 250,000 from 750,000 because of rainfall and increased aid deliveries. The situation is still horrible, however this aid has helped reduce starvation and with this, mortality rates.

As we see these programs do help eradicate some huge problems down South, it is extremely hard to get rid of this problem, but little by little the impact is being done. We can´t give up, we have to continue to put our trust in these programs, and all together in the United Nations, we can save millions of people, especially kids, which need our help to survive.

source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/19/world/africa/somalia-famine-eases-with-rainfall-and-aid.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=somalia&st=cse