The Somalian Famine

SOMALIAN FAMINE 2011

“There is no such thing as an apolitical food problem”, Amartya Sen, Nobel Prize winning Economist. Discuss this statement.

The question of the Somalian Famine has been a subject of regular debate and discussion since July 2011, when the UN first declared an official famine in two specific regions of Somalia. The worst environmental conditions East Africa has experienced in many years, combined with other social and political problems, produced the “worst humanitarian disaster” the world has suffered in several decades, according to the UN. In relation to this topic, Amartya Sen, a renowned economist, commented – “There is no such thing as an apolitical problem”. Sen perfectly defines one of the most important aspects
Most Somalian families who have been hit by the famine have had no choice but to leave their country as refugees, seeking asylum and, more importantly, food, in the many refugee camps of Kenya. One prominent example of these camps is Dadaab, a rapidly-growing population centre in Northern Kenya which is currently accommodating about half a million refugees, many of whom come from Somalia (according to the UN, c.1500 Somali refugees pour into Dadaab everyday). However, Kenya, too has been experiencing serious drought conditions for about two years, and this has led to exhausted, barren fields and the death of livestock, which in turn has decreased supply of food for refugees. This does not, in any way, alleviate food security concerns, which are an even larger problem back in Somalia. The journey to these refugee camps is exhausting, and many die or are assaulted along the way; resources in camps, e.g. food distribution, water, shelter, healthcare, etc. are severely overstretched. However, these camps provide their inhabitants with a sense of security that they did not have in Somalia, where an unstable government and political system led to consistent unrest – “Now at least we have someone to look after us”, said Alisha, a refugee at Dadaab camp. In Somalia, insecurity, human rights violations, and restrictions imosed on aid agencies (by
It is a common sight in these areas to see a congregation of farmers consisting of 80-90% women. Women have remained in their hometowns, tending to crops, while men have gone to look for work in bigger towns and cities. Due to this large number of women currently contributing to farming, it is evident that they are key to revealing the full potential of agricultural development in these deprived countries and thus ensuring food security. Catherine Bertini, an economist who has written a report on this particular issue, said “If the world is to meet the challenge of feeding 9 billion people by 2050, we must invest in the human capital of those with the potential to transform agricultural economies – young women”. It is essential that, by proper investment, we ensure that we are allowing young women to be the mediums of major agricultural and economic change that they have the potential to be. Bertini’s report outlines possible improvements if women were to be given more access to resources such as finance – national agriculture could rise by 1.5%, number of malnourished could by reduced by 5%. However, despite their potential, women are often the most disadvantaged and undervalued in society, being denied productive economic livelihoods. Governments are therefore now expected to nationally mandate primary and secondary education,