Famine means lack or scarcity of food. Somali is among the sub-Saharan countries that are faced with famine. It faces food crises for most of the year and is spread throughout the country (Webb 121). Somali has been in the struggle for lack of food in the last twenty years thus high destruction of economies of the rural areas as well as the urban areas. According to research carried out many people have died from malnutrition and millions of people have their lives threatened (Webb 120). Thesis statement “Somali faces famine resulting from high levels of poverty”.
The fact is that Somali faces famine problems following political and external factors like lack of rain (Das 39). Drought, desertification and civil war are the main causes of famine in Somali. However there are factors that have been root causes but have been concealed. For example there has been instability for a very long time in Somali and this greatly contributed to its current situation of drought and famines (Das 40).
Somali has limited resources therefore this leads to high levels of famine in the country. When prices of food increase, it becomes hard for the poor people to purchase. Conflicts accelerate this condition by preventing any distribution of resources at least from where they exist to areas where there is none (University 24). The food that the country could be having is not distributable to the famine hit areas due to high level of conflicts. The clans in Somali are in constant conflict with each other and therefore each clan keeps whatever little food they have to themselves and do not share with each other at all (University 13). Unless a clan makes agreements or compromises with another clan for food to be shared, it never gets shared. Compromises are also rare thus famine is only rising in Somali and nothing is being done about it and if at all there are any measures then it is very minimal. Fights in Somali have mostly been caused by fights over the resources that are never enough. The minorities have been marginalized and given less resources which in most cases are water and food (Webb 124).
Marginalization of some people has further led to delivery of foreign aid impossible. This is because it is only delivered to some while those who really need the aid continue to die and suffer. In some cases the minorities are not in any organized clans therefore if they are in a resourceful land they are easily kicked out. This causes more clashes, victims increase, and big famines are experienced. Therefore, the clan organization of Somali has only caused more chaos than placing social order and ensuring equal distribution of resources (Moel 62).
The collapse of the livestock economy in the 1980’s has led to famine in Somali as well. The imported drugs for livestock got high prices which were caused by the depreciation of Somali currency. This promoted a private market for the drugs and all functions that the ministry of livestock carried out got phased out (Moel 58). This led to poor health for the animals and further lack of any feeds for them during droughts. There was commercialization of water and the water that was conserved got neglected. This led to decimation of herds and pastoralists. The objective of the program was elimination of the herd’s men. Since the main source of income for the Somalis was livestock this greatly affected them and this is what causes high levels of famine in Somali (Group 160).
Famine comes with its own effects on the economy and people of Somali. When drought hits them most of the families leave their homes. Since they have nothing to eat or drink they take all what they have and walk through the desert for long distances. They could even walk for many weeks yet find nothing to eat or even drink (Moel 64). During these journeys they are usually forced to walk in the sun. If any one of them was lucky to have a goat or any cow they eat it on the way to gain energy to continue walking. They become weak during the journey yet some have babies on their backs. Some watch their children die out of hunger while others get attacked by diseases along the way (Group 159). In addition, they face so many dangers on their way. For example, they are likely to meet with animals also seeking food and they get attacked. They also become vulnerable to many diseases since their bodies are very weak. They also meet with hostile people who take advantage of their weaknesses and attack them stealing the little that is left with them (Griffiths 162).
Those who are lucky to get to camps join other Somalis who are usually in the same situations as them. They get overcrowded in the camps causing further spread of diseases and yet they have no doctors to help them with treatment (Das 35). Others die at the camps while their families watch but they cannot help. What worsens the situation is that there is often very little in the camps such that any food that is available is scrabbled for. In most cases the families live in the camps with some hope that someday they will get aid from good Samaritans (University 25).
In conclusion, famine in Somali and its effects remains a major threat to people in the country up-to-dateand it has been like this for a long time (Das 42). It remains a major problem that Somali still has no solution to and leads to its heavy reliance on other countries for aid. This further accelerates level of poverty thus increasing levels of famine in the country (Moel 60).
Works Cited
Das, Ratan. Poverty and Hunger: Causes and Consequences. New Delhi: Sarup& Sons, 2006. (http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=Z6TcP7mj6cMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Poverty+and+Hunger:+Causes+and+Consequences&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LL1AUcybN8b24QSTjIGYBw&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA
Griffiths, Leuan. An Atlas Of African Affairs. New York: Routledge, 1994. (http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=l68OAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=An+Atlas+Of+African+Affairs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2r1AUcC5MI_Z4QSAnYDwCA&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA
Group, Somali Research. Food production systems and environmental rehabilitation in Somalia : contributions to a discussion seminar June 3-4, 1981. Arlington: The Group, 1991. (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pnaax666.pdf)
Moel, Susan. Compassion Fatigue. New York: Routledge, 1999.(http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=tGmwvJ6STHkC&dq=Compassion+Fatigue&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LL9AUdWTCKKJ4gSK0oG4Bw&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA
Webb, Patrick. Famine in Africa : causes, responses, and prevention. Baltimore: Johns Hopskin,
1999. (http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=snu5AAAAIAAJ&q=Famine+in+Africa+:+causes,+responses,+and+prevention&dq=Famine+in+Africa+:+causes,+responses,+and+prevention&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Zb9AUfvcGKmn4AT5sYHoBg&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA)
