Terrorism Pushes Somalia Towards Second Catastrophic Famine
Image courtesy of Ismail Salad Osman Hajji Dirir via Unsplash
In the aftermath of their fifth consecutive drought, Somalia is dealing with the realization that a famine may be unavoidable. Though the cause of the continuing scarcity of crops can be directly attributed to consequences of climate change, such as major droughts, recurring floods, and locust swarms, it is necessary to look to outside factors such as terrorism to determine why this problem is so difficult for the Somalian government to combat.
Decades of political instability stemming from the collapse of the Somalian government in 1991 has given groups such as al-Shabab – associated with al-Qaeda – the capacity to exercise their rigid interpretation of Sharia law over large parts of southern Somalia and establish themselves as a significant threat to both international organizations and civilians. Their presence in these territories poses a major threat to humanitarian aid from the United Nations and other organizations, causing the U.S. and U.K. to implement strict counter-terrorism laws that restrict the ability of aid organizations' from those countries to deliver food, water, and money to those most affected by the imminent danger of famine.
Though the goal of humanitarian aid is to allocate enough resources to hundreds of thousands of people on the verge of starvation in areas under the insurgent groups control, U.S. federal law states that parties involved cannot guarantee the money will not end up in the hands of al-Shabab, and therefore, many NGOs cannot distribute aid in Somalia. Even if unintentional, existing counter terrorism laws implement fines rising above one million dollars in the event that material support provided by these groups is accessed by al-Shabab and could even lead to imprisonment for up to 20 years. These laws, however, still allow for aid to be sent directly from the U.S. government, with a recent press release stating the USAID has sent over 41 million dollars in new aid to assist the people of Somalia.
While efforts to deliver funds to civilians are directly inhibited by the existing U.S. and U.K. counter-terrorism laws, international organizations granted access still face many security problems, including the fear of attacks carried out on relief sites and those working within them. Preventing these attacks would require groups to communicate directly with al-Shabab, though this approach is unfeasible because groups with funding from the U.S. are banned from negotiating with terrorists. Providing assistance to civilians risks not only federal fines and legal implications, but is also deterred by the terrorist group who has implemented a substantial tax at checkpoints in al-Shabab controlled areas. These barriers make it increasingly difficult for humanitarian aid to reach those affected without organizations abiding by al-Shabab’s wishes and giving the group thousands in taxes.
Though hundreds of millions of dollars have been raised to combat the catastrophic hunger crisis in the nation, including funds raised by the United Nations totalling over 70 percent of their $1.46 billion goal, they now face the problem of how to physically deliver these supplies on the ground. The fear of violence and retaliation by al-Shabab forces, even if organizations have been granted clearance to the area, scares essential workers and discourages other groups from trying to provide support without guaranteed protection from the U.S. and U.K.
Experts say the nature of the situation allows for deliberate oversight by the U.S. and U.K. governments, meaning they turn a blind eye to the operations of international NGOs in these areas. This oversight means organizations are unable to bring in the technical experts needed or build facilities large enough to adequately address the food insecurity currently faced by thousands. The reason for these limited freedoms stems from recent exemptions to UN sanctions in Somalia, including the addition of an “intent clause” and stronger language concerning compliance with international humanitarian law.
As the needs of around 900,000 Somalians living in al-Shabab territory increase and authorities state famine could devastate the country in a matter of months, it becomes necessary to consider possible solutions to address the continued presence of these jihadist forces. The similar plight of civilians plagued by severe food insecurity in South Sudan, Nigeria, and Yemen exemplifies the negative effect of counter-terrorism laws around the world and shows how crucial it is that this issue be addressed.
Since al-Shabab is able to continue running operations without the money levied from the taxes charged to NGOs, it would greatly benefit the greater civilian population of Somalia if the current U.S. and U.K. counter-terrorism laws were remanded to allow for more aid to reach those in need. If these laws do not become more lenient with international organizations, the outcome could very likely mirror the major famine in 2011, with smaller amounts of total aid collected making it into areas under terrorist control.
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