Global Security Studies Practicum

28 November 2011 Mogadishu (The New York Times) — The Shabab militant group ordered 16 aid age nc ies to shut down on Monday. These are in ad dition to the many that they have already blocked from reaching starving people in Somalia’s famine zones. Heavily armed Shabab fig hters then raided the offices of several aid groups, looted equi pment an d ac cused the aid workers of being spies. Many of the aid organizations were helping to deliver lifesaving assistance to millions of Somalis suffering from food shortages brought on by the drought. It was not clear what prompted the Shabab to take action against the aid agencies. The group, which has imposed a draconian version of Islamic law in the areas it controls, is under military assault from several directions, facing troops from Ethiopia, Kenya, and the African Union. SOURCE: Rebels Resume Crackdown on Somali Aid http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/29/world/africa/somali-militants-shut-down-more-aid-operations.html?_r=1 RELIABIL...

18 November 2011 Johannesburg (Los Angeles Tim es) — Somalia’s hunger crisis has somewhat ceased, with the United Nations announcing that three of six famine regions were technically no longer in famine. These three regions, Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle remain in a critical situation and it is expected that 250,000 people will die in southern Somalia because of the crisis. The other three areas, Middle Shabelle, Afgoye and Mogadishu will remain in famine until at least the end of the year. According to aid agencies, all of southern Somalia is in an acute situation and death rates are still high. Although the global acute nutrition and crude death rates have declined in some areas, malnutrition rates continue to remain above the famine threshold levels in a large part of southern Somalia. Child death rates remain above crisis levels in several areas as well Somalia’s famine is the worst in the world and the worst in Somalia since its last famine in 1991. SOURCE: Expert: Somal...