By Tongkeh Joseph Fowale, A World View
There is hardly anything more to say about the Horn of Africa in general, and Somalia in particular. But there is still much to be done.
Somalia poses a challenge to the entire world and its leaders, governments, humanitarian organizations, aid donors and especially religious bodies that have the plight of the suffering at heart.
It is important to examine the root causes of this crisis (in order to avoid a repeat of this catastrophe), but the most urgent task at hand is to bring relief to the thousands of lives on the line.
How has the world responded to the Somali food crisis so far? In an op-ed posted Aug. 9, Oxfam Canada answered this question clearly: "Aid to East Africa slow and inadequate."
Oxfam goes to enumerate the failures of the international community in both preventing and handling the crisis.
"Governments and the international community have failed to tackle chronic poverty and invest in sustainable livelihoods. They have failed to encourage local food production and support women food producers who, ironically, are the first to go hungry when times are rough.
"They have failed to deal seriously with climate change and support adaptation to the new normal [routine] of recurring droughts. They have failed to build adequate social safety nets and early warning systems to shield vulnerable populations from disease."
These accusations, as valid as they are, stand a risk of oversimplifying or completely ignoring if not undermining the efforts of the international community in helping Somalia.
Besides Canada's offer of $72 million to Somalia's famine victims, U.S President Barack Obama this week approved $105 million worth of aid to Somalia.
The UN, EU, Arab governments and many charities and NGOs are also on the ground in Somalia, some venturing even into al-Shabaab territory.
To some observers and analysts, the problem at this stage is not the absence of aid, but lack of co-ordination.
"We have so many NGOs ... coming into Somalia to help but no one seems to know where they should focus, where the needs are ...." an observer told IRIN News.
And when all is said and done, what have Africa and Africans done to help their brothers and sisters in Somalia?
Accusations of negligence towards Somalia should fall squarely on Africans, beginning with the al-Qaeda linked group al-Shabaab, which has transformed the country into the hell it is today.
The violence created by al-Shabaab is among the principal causes of Somalia's food crisis and the group represents a clear threat to aid groups working in Somalia.
With all the troubles and frustrations encountered by Somali refugees, the famine has grown another dangerous off-shoot — a rape crisis.
"The supposed sanctuary of Kenyan refugee camps can't protect Somali women from the horrors of a growing rape epidemic" says Frank Crimi in FRONTPAGEMAG.
The United Nations reported 358 rape cases in the area of Dadaab from January to June 2011, up from 75 during the same period last year.
Observers say these numbers are much higher as many cases go unreported because of the cultural stigma attached to rape.
The African Union, the continental body that is supposed to assume responsibility in situations like this has itself been handicapped by lack of finances. It decided to postpone a fund raiser for Somalia until Aug. 25.
Tongkeh Joseph Fowale is a Cameroonian writer living in Belleville, a political analyst and a researcher on African International Relations. He can be contacted at jawanjoe@yahoo.co.uk
Source: The Intelligencer(www.intelligencer.ca)
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