Drought in Somalia; Vision of Hell.

As if things couldn't be going worse.

These people need help.

I sometimes wonder about the wisdom of setting up a program of adoption/patriation that would let children or even entire families in these sorts of circumstances come to other countries where things aren't so bad. Aid can only go so far; there's literally nothing for people in circumstances like this.

edited 8th Jul '11 8:40:28 AM by GameChainsaw

What is really stupid is that woman trying to save the children that have been given up for dead.

The problematic thing here is, that crisis aid only really works if there's a governemnt in place to dish it out. Money is the fastest way to get aid in, material aid actually tends to come in months (even years) late, and is more a way of dumping agricultural surplus.

Best bet would probably be enlisting the help of Ethiopia and Kenya. And ensuring that the aid works for the Somali farmers, not against them as aid sometimes does*

* tangent about aid and food production

...

Suddenly I don't feel like chocolate any more.

Kids in positions like that need to be extracted from the country, or at least from that part of the country. If its between being taken into another home or starving, take them somewhere else.

...

All of a sudden, raiding cargo ships doesn't seem like such a deplorable act.

No. Thats dumb. If you can afford guns and bullets you can afford food.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy_in_Somalia#Profile

Pirates are part of the problem.

Local Somali fishermen, considered the brains of the pirates' operations due to their skill and knowledge of the sea. Many think that foreign boats have no right to cruise next to the shore and destroy their boats.

Whats this about foreigners smashing up the locals boats?

edited 8th Jul '11 9:13:38 AM by GameChainsaw

I think it's metaphor. Asia and Europe steal about 300 million dollars of fish there. Then again it could be literal.

Or maybe it's "Many, thinking that foreign boats have no right to cruise next to the shore, destroy the foreigners' boats."

You have a point. Then again, if there's no fish to buy...

Yeah, foreigners dump waste and steal fish from Somali waters, that`s how piracy started there actually. A bunch of fishermen, no fish and hatred.

I was thinking, the U.N. should just form a provisional government in Somalia and set up the structure for a real government to take its place. Elevate the country out of this rut.

They already have, with the AU's troops defending it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Somalia_(2009%E2%80%93)

That's the current control map as of last month. See all the blue? That's the UN-backed government.

edited 8th Jul '11 9:39:58 AM by FFShinra

Well we could stop treating their national waters as a personal dumping ground for a start.

A lot of the pirates are viewed as heroes by the locals. Some are former Coast Guard sailors. This may partially be the result of not having a government anymore - in the absense of centralized leadership - of anything - they used the skills they had on hand and tried to better their situation. I understand why they're doing that. I don't agree with it, but I can empathize, yes?

And yeah, Hell on Earth.