Live Seminar 37: Famine and War: A Critical Appraisal of the Challenges to Humanitarian Response in Somalia
Description:
To access the recording: click here
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The situation in Somalia is dire. More than 750,000 are believed to be at risk of starvation. In the midst of a violent civil war, Somalia is now facing drought and imminent famine. A range of actors — the internationally recognized government of Somalia, Al-Shabaab and its affiliates, third states, the United Nations, international NGOs and civil society organizations — are active in Somalia. Yet, Somalia is facing an almost unprecedented disaster.
This live web seminar considered the various challenges to humanitarian operations in Somalia, looking at such questions as:
- What poses the greatest impediment to the population receiving much needed assistance?
- What is the relationship – if any – between the armed conflict and famine in Somalia?
- Were these conditions predictable? If so, what could have been done to avoid it?
- What responsibility do the various actors operating in Somalia bear for the current situation?
- What are the operational and policy options available to humanitarian organizations working to try to reduce the suffering of the population?
Claude Bruderlein (Director of HPCR) and Naz Modirzadeh (Associate Director) hosted the discussion.
Presenters:
Ken Menkhaus, Davidson College
Bronwyn Bruton, Council on Foreign Relations
EJ Hoogendoorn, International Crisis Group
Joe Belliveau, Medecins sans Frontieres
Resources
Bronwyn Bruton, Somalia: A New Approach
Bronwyn Bruton and J. Peter Pham, How to End the Stalemate in Somalia (Foreign Affairs)
Matt Bryden, Somalia’s Famine is Not Just a Catastrophe, It’s a Crime (Enough Project)
Ken Menkhaus, A Diplomatic Surge to Stop Somalia’s Famine (Enough Project)
Tracy McVeigh, Charity President Says Aid Groups are Misleading the Public on Somalia (Guardian)
Oxfam Briefing Note, East Africa Food Crisis: Poor Rains, Poor Response
HPCR, Criminalizing Humanitarian Engagement
Catherine Dunn, Aid to Somalia Fraught With Legal Uncertainty and Bureaucratic Tangles (Corporate Counsel)
Joanne Mariner, Starvation in Somalia (Verdict Blog, Justicia.com)
Alex Perry, Somalia: A Very Man-Made Disaster (Time.com)
John L.Hirsch, The Black Hawk Down Effect (Foreign Policy)
Gabor Rona and Kae Guinane, How to Help Somalia (The Hill’s Congress Blog)
In partnership with:
The Federal Department for Foreign Affairs (FDFA) formulates and coordinates Swiss foreign policy on the instructions of the Federal Council. A coherent foreign policy is a precondition for the effective protection of Swiss interests vis-à-vis foreign countries.
Sida works according to directives of the Swedish Parliament and Government to reduce poverty in the world. The overall goal of Swedish development cooperation is to contribute to making it possible for poor people to improve their living conditions.
