More frequently, words considered offensive to common sensibilities are captured by euphemisms, acronyms, and abbreviations. The “F” word is no different. Only in this context, the shroud that blankets the word (and anxiety over its use) is undeniably political and ultimately fatal for the tens of thousands in Somalia that will die this year because of starvation. The civil war and terrorism in Somalia has taken a toll and displaced civilians throughout the country and into neighboring lands. But the famine is what is killing them.
Undeniably, this famine is rooted in civil conflict, transitional political governance preceded by pitiful governance, soldiers stealing food, and terrorists blocking food delivery (and then stealing food).
After months of hunger-related deaths, the United Nations finally declared Somalia to be in a state of famine this past summer. Projections vary, but for the tiny country of somewhere between 7-9 million people (the US government estimates 9 million and the UN 7.5 million), between 1,000-2,500 people, mostly women and children die each day from starvation.
In the 1980s, Americans understood the Ethiopian famine to be caused by drought. News reporting on anything involving Africa, with the exception of racism and apartheid in South Africa, was scant at best. So, many believed that lack of rain pushed people into starvation and that fueled altruistic campaigns that spread the image of emaciated children without a broader reflection on the condition of that country. Rainfall was only part of the story. What many failed to realize was that ongoing civil strife was one of the most significant predictors and contributors to hunger in the Horn of Africa. When farmers took up arms for battle, the fields became battlegrounds and no one was available (or dared) to tend the crops.
The Horn of Africa was also the site of political interest by both the U.S. and the former Soviet Union. And, although both governments supplied money to influence regimes, little came about in terms of building a sustainable infrastructure necessary for the meaningful survival of the populace.
Decades later the region is mired in old world and new forms of terrorism. From piracy and kidnappings on land and sea to the terrorism of al-Shabab—an extremist Islamic terror network proudly connected to Al Qaeda, which has claimed responsibility for murdering students and aid workers in the region, terrorism and threats of terrorism are destroying the country from the inside out. Terrorists are also responsible, in part, for stealing food intended for children and women. And, while the US involvement in Somalia has been to stamp out terrorism, this effort has come with a cost as these strategic operations are conducted with the aid of the country’s notorious warlords.
The famine in Somalia did not occur in isolation. Nor is it the result of the failed marketplace or the tanking global economy. To the contrary, this has been a long time coming, and arguably predictable. The factors leading to mass starvation in Somalia include Ethiopia’s invasion into Somalia, an unstable government, the withdrawal of Western aid and removal of a diplomatic U.S. political presence, internal corruption, and local terrorism and suicide bombings carried out by al-Shabab, to name a few.
But, as important, illiteracy and poor social infrastructure contribute to mass starvation. Literacy in Somalia is at 37 percent and only 25 percent for women. Poverty, violence, and lack of education go hand in hand. Ireland provides an instructive example. Its illiteracy rate pre-famine hovered around that of current-day Somalia. Corruption and terrorism are the obvious structures that undermine Somalia’s stability. But illiteracy is a powerful, silent weapon and women suffer from its collateral damage, being hurt the most by it. Gebre-Egziabher Kirosa and Dennis Hogan provide insight about this in a provocative article published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. Their study shows “that the role of parental education in reducing child mortality is great during famine periods.” Their report is not novel, but it does confirm what humanitarian workers, economists, and others have said for many years.
For women without literacy, work opportunities are nearly nonexistent and with that any meaningful chance of supporting their children and family members is diminished. Women are starving in Somalia because they have no food, but they also lack education and important skill sets to earn meaningful wages. When Somalia recovers, it should be committed to nurturing the minds of its population as much as satiating its current hunger caused by famine.
When considering the long term health and safety of any nation, a famine of the mind is as dangerous as a food drought.
