“Abdio Ali Elmoi clutches her son, Mustapha, whose eyes are dimming. Her face is grooved with grief. She has already lost three children to gaajo, or hunger, a common word around here.
‘I walked all day and all night,’ she whispered, barely able to speak. ‘Where I come from, there is no food.’
Somalia is once again spewing misery across its borders, and once again man-made dimensions are making this natural disaster more acute.
The Islamist militants controlling southern Somalia forced out Western aid organizations last year, yanking away the only safety net just when the soil was drying up and the drought was coming. Only now, when the scale of the catastrophe is becoming clear, with nearly three million Somalis in urgent need and more than 10 million at risk across the parched Horn of Africa, have the militants relented and invited aid groups back. But few are rushing in because of the complications and dangers of dealing with a brutal group that is aligned with Al Qaeda and has turned Somalia into a focal point of American concerns on terrorism.”
This is from an article published in Saturday’s New York Times.
A few thoughts. First, I find it interesting that the only use of the word “famine” in the article refers to a famine monitoring program. While other media seem comfortable with the term, nowhere does the article quoted above call the situation what it is. This reminds me of the New York Times‘ initial avoidance of the word “torture” when the torturing was being done by or on behalf of the United States.
Second, it might be tempting to argue along with Sen that this constitutes proof that famines are the result of human action more than of a lack of food to go around. It is difficult, however, to argue for or against that view in this case given the drought in the Horn of Africa and the lack of infrastructure in Somalia. It appears that both the drought and the actions of the Islamic militants have been necessary conditions for what we are observing, but that neither was sufficient for famine to occur.
Third, if you would like to make a donation, J. over at Tales from the Hood advised me this weekend via Twitter to “stick with the big name-brand household charities who have prior presence.” I personally chose to give to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The donation page is here, and you can select where you would like your money to go.
UPDATE: Cynan Houghton schools me in the comments on the proper use of the term “famine.” Duly noted, and thanks to Cynan for the correction. Readers interested in the nitty gritty can check out the link below.