Food Crisis Riots in Somalia

[yeahwho]

This is now officially beyond disturbing and very scary. About 2.6 million Somalis, more than one-fourth of the population, are in need of food aid, up 40% since January, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.

At least 5 Somalis were killed during rioting this very day in Mogadishu, Somalia (http://images.military.com/pics/1_map_somalia.gif), a collapse of their currency has caused Somalians to carry huge bags of currency to pay for food, which has become scarce. There are a multitude of factors creating this food crisis but todays riots are over the collapse of the Somalian currency system

From the LATIMES: (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-somalia6-2008may06,0,5102789.story)

"I've never demonstrated before, but I'm not ashamed because if you can't eat, you will do whatever you can," said Abdullahi Mohammed, 57, of Mogadishu. "Before I was eating three times a day, but now sometimes it's not even once."

Somalia's beleaguered population is already coping with a civil war that began with the collapse of the government in 1991. But recently, the Horn of Africa nation's food industry, which previously thrived thanks to private traders, has been grappling with soaring inflation, spurred by an explosion of counterfeit currency over the past year and the global spike in food prices. Somalia imports at least 60% of its grain and its local crops this year were devastated by a cycle of drought and flooding.

As a result, prices for rice, maize, sorghum and other cereals are up between 100% and 400% over the past year. A sack of rice that sold for $32 only one month ago is now going for $52.

This intersects with every major headline I've been reading the past 8 years. Oil consumption, billions (around $837 billion so far) of US dollars spent on delusional war, Oil, Oil, Oil, extreme weather conditions brought to us by Mother Nature or perhaps worse, by our own carbon footprint.

These food riots are more frightening to me than any other news I've read in my life. Something is more than just a little off on planet earth here, our priorities and policies are not prepared for mankind's betterment, we've forgotten the "Golden Rule" and surely a price is being paid.

All of us are being stretched to the max by the current climate of fear, but now the breaking point is here. This is big.

[D_Raay]

The plain simple fact here is that the current system as it stands cannot sustain itself any longer.

This isn't merely another story of death or war or disease going on somewhere far away. This is the direct effect of the status quo; the ramifications of unchecked power and greed; the tilting of the natural balance.

This isn't about the supposed media coverage, or the "hotly contested" campaign that is constant on our tv's between the commercials for Taco Bell or McDonalds. This is about being human beings.

You know why I will vote for Barack Obama? Because the slightest hint of worry and concern has penetrated his demeanor while his counterpart has gleefully staged photo ops and picked horses and downed shots and pretended to know how to work a gas pump like us common folks that are just not so common.

[yeahwho]

Somalia: Troops Killing People 'Like Goats' by Slitting Throats - New Amnesty Report (http://allafrica.com/stories/200805060686.html)

Amnesty International's Africa Deputy Programme Director Michelle Kagari said: 'The people of Somalia are being killed, raped, tortured; looting is widespread and entire neighbourhoods are being destroyed.'

Witnesses described to Amnesty International an increasing incidence of Ethiopian troops killing people by what is locally termed 'slaughtering' or 'killing like goats' - referring to killing by slitting the throat.

Those killed are often left lying in pools of blood in the streets until armed fighters, including snipers, move out of the area and relatives can collect their bodies.

In one case, a 15-year-old girl found her father with his throat cut when she returned home from school after Ethiopian security forces had swept through her neighbourhood.

It's just beginning to get out of hand, what I and many fear is these citizens and their families will be slaughtered, their voices never heard. We shouldn't let that happen, of all the fucked up things going on in the world this is one that I feel we should be vocal about. Make the media report on this story in the same galvanized fashion they report on clerics for presidential candidates.
It's too ugly to ignore.

[Waus]

What do you think we should do?

[yeahwho]

What do you think we should do?

That is an excellent question, I think we should post about it, keep aware of it and hit as many news stories a day on the internet that reports this unfolding disaster.

The internet newspaper and blog will pander to the largest audience by proxy for advertising survival. If we're not giving google news as many hits on Somalia than say the current fucked up presidential race we're basically saying we don't want to know about it. This is how it works in the new millennium. They track our number of hits to generate the news, hopefully multi-conglomerate news organizations such as Time-Warner will act accordingly.

I'm trying to cause enough interest to generate response so maybe the person responding hits a website and says to themselves, "Holy Fucking Shit" this is incredible. They're running out of food and currency, that is unacceptable. Just enough to not forget, maybe begin to checkout sites such as the World Food Program (http://www.wfp.org/english/).

Not preaching, just saying....

[Waus]

Actually that question was more intended in the abstract, like - what should America or United Nations do about it?

[yeahwho]

Actually that question was more intended in the abstract, like - what should America or United Nations do about it?

They should make every effort to try and understand the circumstances that led to this, the United States is still the leader in support for World Hunger, this is good, but perhaps something larger is at play here. I am starting to believe our environment is complicating the crisis (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/04/14/ccview114.xml)of World Hunger. I believe the dynamic is changing in the very worse way possible. Civil wars, environmental disasters which clearly man has a hand in are turning even the most basic life support systems into luxury items.

Perhaps this administration which is just beginning to figure out there is CO2 in our atmosphere at accelerating levels, can make a giant leap towards changing the way we use our infrastructure. Institute a sound environmental policy, reflect on how it will benefit the Planet, take the lead and quit being the worse offender.

[Waus]

Hmm, okay. That's kind of a long term solution. I'm definitely a non-interventionist when it comes to foreign policy, so what, if anything, do you think we should do immediately to try to curb the violence and injustice in Somalia?

[yeahwho]

Hmm, okay. That's kind of a long term solution. I'm definitely a non-interventionist when it comes to foreign policy, so what, if anything, do you think we should do immediately to try to curb the violence and injustice in Somalia?
I'm not too sure where your going with this line of questioning, I'm not an interventionist either, but if, and I mean "if" the climate and energy needs are beginning to effect humans in other parts of the world I would think we had better address the issue, pronto.

I'm just a guy that spins wrenches for a living, I'm not a policy maker nor am I qualified to have a full understanding on how to implement policy, that said I'll still go ahead and tell you what I would do because I' don't mind making an ass out of myself if it keeps the conversation of food riots going.

I would contact the very brightest minds on Climate Change, ie; IPCC (http://www.ipcc.ch/), designate a senate panel committee to study this issue with said organization and start a tremendous public information campaign at the gas pumps about the underlying effects of oil consumption and energy use in general. Along the lines of the Surgeon Generals campaign about smoking and the serious health effects that transpires with such usage.

Like I said thats just some quick bullshit off the top of my head, the How, When, Where and why of it must be convened within a few weeks. The FDA has no mention of food shortages, I'm just sort of thinking that food riots are probably something that ought to get our attention and make us expedite change right away.

We will ignore this at our own peril.

[Waus]

The way I figure it a committee like that would just be a sluggish government entity that wouldn't really accomplish much, and would probably spend a lot of money.

Trying to ease the crisis over there with foreign aid in the form of food just puts local farmers out of commission (in my opinion).

We can't really stop the violence without either helping a rebel group or trying to overthrow the government ourselves. I dunno. Peace corps?

[yeahwho]

The drought is what really ignited the rioting, that and the countefitting of the Somali schilling, the civil war has raged for well over a decade there. Somalia has had no effective national government since 1991, so a military solution IMO would virtually make no sense short term.

Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings. Nomads and semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. After livestock, bananas are the principal export; sugar, sorghum, maize, and fish are products for the domestic market. The small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, accounts for 10% of GDP.

It is the drought (http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/ASAZ-7DHFRF?OpenDocument) that has brought on the current crisis, it is desperation for food. I'm much more concerned with trying to figure out a way to lessen the environmental impact (http://www.ciesin.org/TG/AG/AG-home.html) than any sort of pre-emptive military solution.

I'm just thinking that being aware of this scenario should be of the utmost priority, so I decided to make this thread. I cannot just pretend I never heard of rising food costs and riots.