Somalia is facing a “very real risk” of famine - six million facing shortages

BernardBrogan · 05-02-2017 7:55pm #1

The Guardian wrote:

Somalia is facing a “very real risk” of famine, with more than 6 million people, half its population, facing acute food insecurity in the country, three UN agencies have warned.

Humanitarian groups in Somalia cautioned there was a “small window” to stop a repeat of the 2011 famine, when an estimated 260,000 people starved to death in the country after a slow response from donors.

The projected speed of deterioration in a country gripped by severe drought, rising prices and forecasts of poor rains, together with the number of people at risk and the difficulties involved in reaching those affected, have led to a stark warning that an “immediate and massive” response is needed to avert catastrophe.

According to the latest findings, by the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) in Somalia, almost 3 million people face crisis and emergency food insecurity, more than double the number six months ago. Crisis and emergency, a classification of the severity of food insecurity, is one step away from famine. About 363,000 acutely malnourished children need urgent treatment and nutrition support, including about 71,000 who are severely malnourished, according to FSNAU.

Dick Trenchard, the Food and Agriculture Organisation representative in Somalia, said: “The latest report tells us that we risk famine in several areas of Somalia in the coming months. The warning could not be clearer and it could not be more stark. What worries most is the projected speed of deterioration, the scale – in terms of number of people at risk, the geography and the very real risk of a significant worsening.”

Drought is now severe or extreme in more than 90% of the country. River Shabelle is now dry in its most important lower reaches due to irrigation pumping in Kelafo and Godey. Food prices are spiking already all over, I am guessing some traders are holding on to inventory expecting that prices will be even higher in the future. This is looking even worse than 2011.

Dr Crayfish · 05-02-2017 8:00pm

Is there anything we can do to help?

johnny_tractor · 05-02-2017 8:03pm

all the somalians can move to ireland and all the irish can move to somalia

Dirty Dingus McGee · 05-02-2017 8:13pm

There genuinely needs to be a 1 child policy or even some form of voluntary sterilization instituted in countries like Somalia.It is incredibly irresponsible to have children when you are not very confident you can provide for them.

05-02-2017 8:14pm

BernardBrogan wrote: »

Drought is now severe or extreme in more than 90% of the country. River Shabelle is now dry in its most important lower reaches due to irrigation pumping in Kelafo and Godey. Food prices are spiking already all over, I am guessing some traders are holding on to inventory expecting that prices will be even higher in the future. This is looking even worse than 2011.

Some people are so ruthless, i hate when people take advantage of a crisis to further their own agenda, should be illegal to up the price of necessities in a crisis.

Dr Crayfish · 05-02-2017 8:17pm

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

There genuinely needs to be a 1 child policy or even some form of voluntary sterilization instituted in countries like Somalia.It is incredibly irresponsible to have children when you are not very confident you can provide for them.

What about Jobstown, Killenarden etc?

05-02-2017 8:47pm

In reality Somalia doesnt exist any more... and thats a good part of the problem.

steddyeddy · 05-02-2017 9:13pm

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

There genuinely needs to be a 1 child policy or even some form of voluntary sterilization instituted in countries like Somalia.It is incredibly irresponsible to have children when you are not very confident you can provide for them.

That's a disgusting view. I lived in Tanzania where there is intense poverty. Most people there who have kids there hope that their kid will have a better life than they will. The idea of personal responsibility and not circumstances may be a lovely idea that helps the far right sleep at night, but that's not the case here. The existence of a welfare state in Ireland has given people a safety net to allow them to better their lives.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 05-02-2017 9:18pm

steddyeddy wrote: »

That's a disgusting view. I lived in Tanzania where there is intense poverty. Most people there who have kids there hope that their kid will have a better life than they will. The idea of personal responsibility and not circumstances may be a lovely idea that helps the far right sleep at night, but that's not the case here. The existence of a welfare state in Ireland has given people a safety net to allow them to better their lives.

They haven't worked out how to feed their expanding population and until they can then unfortunately they have to make some sacrifices.I'm not asking for anyone to be killed you know, just to not have so many children.

The population of Somalia has almost quadrupled in the last 40 years and they seem to have regular enough famines.Is that not enough to suggest that they cannot sustain their population and thus have to try and control it.

They can't provide enough food for their population which is the most basic thing of all with our climate in Ireland we won't go through mass starvation anymore because if the worst happens we will still be able to produce food to feed the population.

Stigura · 05-02-2017 9:25pm

pedigree 6 · 05-02-2017 9:43pm

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

They haven't worked out how to feed their expanding population and until they can then unfortunately they have to make some sacrifices.I'm not asking for anyone to be killed you know, just to not have so many children.

The population of Somalia has almost quadrupled in the last 40 years and they seem to have regular enough famines.Is that not enough to suggest that they cannot sustain their population and thus have to try and control it.

They can't provide enough food for their population which is the most basic thing of all with our climate in Ireland we won't go through mass starvation anymore because if the worst happens we will still be able to produce food to feed the population.

Hello Sir Charles Trevelyan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Charles_Trevelyan,_1st_Baronet

Butters1979 · 05-02-2017 9:47pm

What we should do is throw a load of money at the problem. Ship aid and supplies in from everywhere we can. That way we can ensure that the next time one of the driest parts of the world has a 'surprise' drought then there'll be 12 million Somalians facing starvation.

Problem solved!

drdeadlift · 05-02-2017 9:52pm

They have no issues investing in their national airline

gctest50 · 05-02-2017 9:59pm

BernardBrogan wrote: »

Drought is now severe or extreme in more than 90% of the country. River Shabelle is now dry in its most important lower reaches due to irrigation pumping in Kelafo and Godey. Food prices are spiking already all over, I am guessing some traders are holding on to inventory expecting that prices will be even higher in the future. This is looking even worse than 2011.

The 2003 Water Sector Development Program didn't go so well then ?

Dirty Dingus McGee · 05-02-2017 10:00pm

pedigree 6 wrote: »

Hello Sir Charles Trevelyan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Charles_Trevelyan,_1st_Baronet

That has zero relvance to my comment.I'm not suggesting nothing should be done to help I am suggesting that in order to avoid continuous famines in Africa their governments need to make efforts to control their population.You know we haven't had a famine in 170 years here it's been 5 since Somalia's last one and there was plenty of food in Ireland during the "famine" it's was just our colonial overlords ****ed things up badly.

gw80 · 05-02-2017 10:10pm

Is this gona be the next big crisis seems as things are settling down in Syria,
Que the photos of dead children and charities telling us we should be emptying the whole of Somalia into Europe beacause of some white guilt we should all be feeling,
Meanwhile most of the rest of Africa are sitting on some of the biggest, richest natural resources on the planet, eg: gold, diamonds,oil, metals, ect,ect,
But they are too greedy and to corupt to get their **** together,
But no, this will be Europe's responsibility

pedigree 6 · 05-02-2017 10:20pm

There's something seriously wrong with some people in this world now.

Here we have a famine in Somalia.

A Famine. Do people here even have a concept of what that is.
It's watching your parents, children, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles waste away and starve and die in shouts of agony.

So while we watch Jeremy Kyle on the 40 inch and tuck into a happy meal.

Consider that.

Some world.:mad:

Remind me again how much food is flown in here and wasted in this country.
Of course it's not the Irish people's problem. You just had the good fortune of being born here and not there.

Of all the food produced and wasted here surely the Irish government (themselves) can organise some shipments or air freight deliveries.

Help!!!! · 05-02-2017 10:22pm

Sir Bob will be out telling us to " give me you money "
Liam Cunnnigham will do a couple of hours at a camp & tell of the atrocities he's seen & its up to US in Ireland to help & take in as many as we can ( but obviously dont house them in his street because the house prices will come down )
The government will send x amount of million & in a couple years time the same thing will happen again. Its terrible that it happens but cant keep throwing money at Africa every few years

Help!!!! · 05-02-2017 10:24pm

gw80 wrote: »

Is this gona be the next big crisis seems as things are settling down in Syria,
Que the photos of dead children and charities telling us we should be emptying the whole of Somalia into Europe beacause of some white guilt we should all be feeling,
Meanwhile most of the rest of Africa are sitting on some of the biggest, richest natural resources on the planet, eg: gold, diamonds,oil, metals, ect,ect,
But they are too greedy and to corupt to get their **** together,
But no, this will be Europe's responsibility

How much did Saudi Arabia give towards aid for Syria?? F all

pedigree 6 · 05-02-2017 10:25pm

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

That has zero relvance to my comment.I'm not suggesting nothing should be done to help I am suggesting that in order to avoid continuous famines in Africa their governments need to make efforts to control their population.You know we haven't had a famine in 170 years here it's been 5 since Somalia's last one and there was plenty of food in Ireland during the "famine" it's was just our colonial overlords ****ed things up badly.

His rigid adherence to Malthusian population theory during the Irish famine is often attributed to this formative tutelage.[10]

You have the same beliefs as the bould Charlie.

That's a shocker.

me_right_one · 05-02-2017 10:25pm

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

What about Jobstown, Killenarden etc?

There is nobody in these places dying of hunger. Drugs, maybe. But thats the users choice. Hunger? No.

ForestFire · 05-02-2017 10:29pm

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

They haven't worked out how to feed their expanding population and until they can then unfortunately they have to make some sacrifices.I'm not asking for anyone to be killed you know, just to not have so many children.

The population of Somalia has almost quadrupled in the last 40 years and they seem to have regular enough famines.Is that not enough to suggest that they cannot sustain their population and thus have to try and control it.

They can't provide enough food for their population which is the most basic thing of all with our climate in Ireland we won't go through mass starvation anymore because if the worst happens we will still be able to produce food to feed the population.

I also think as a world, we could do with a 2/3 child policy to curb the increase in world population before its too late for all of humanity.

Is there a real need/reason to have more than 2/3 kids?

Professor Moriarty · 05-02-2017 10:31pm

pedigree 6 wrote: »

There's something seriously wrong with some people in this world now.

Here we have a famine in Somalia.

A Famine. Do people here even have a concept of what that is.
It's watching your parents, children, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles waste away and starve and die in shouts of agony.

So while we watch Jeremy Kyle on the 40 inch and tuck into a happy meal.

Consider that.

Some world.:mad:

Remind me again how much food is flown in here and wasted in this country.
Of course it's not the Irish people's problem. You just had the good fortune of being born here and not there.

Of all the food produced and wasted here surely the Irish government (themselves) can organise some shipments or air freight deliveries.

Reminds me of some lines from Gilbert O'Sullivan's song Nothing Rhymed:

When I'm drinking my Bonaparte brandy
Eating more than enough apple pies
Will I glance at my screen
And see real human beings
Starve to death right in front of my eyes.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 05-02-2017 10:32pm

pedigree 6 wrote: »

You have the same beliefs as the bould Charlie.

That's a shocker.

Nothing wrong with suggesting that after several famines perhaps a country has to have a look at itself and say something is wrong and they need to find a way of controlling their population.I'm all for helping them but they need to make the country more sustainable.

As I said in my post there was no shortage of food in Ireland during the "great famine" of course you conveniently choose to ignore that fact.

Butters1979 · 05-02-2017 10:32pm

pedigree 6 wrote: »

There's something seriously wrong with some people in this world now.

Here we have a famine in Somalia.

A Famine. Do people here even have a concept of what that is.
It's watching your parents, children, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles waste away and starve and die in shouts of agony.

So while we watch Jeremy Kyle on the 40 inch and tuck into a happy meal.

Consider that.

Some world.:mad:

Remind me again how much food is flown in here and wasted in this country.
Of course it's not the Irish people's problem. You just had the good fortune of being born here and not there.

Of all the food produced and wasted here surely the Irish government (themselves) can organise some shipments or air freight deliveries.

Typical bleeding heart think of the children ****e. All outrage. No solutions.

So wants yoour solution? Send loads of aid? I'm ok with that. Except the population will just keep increasing and there'll be another disaster in a few years. We need to stop this cycle. Not encourage it.

A famine is when there's not enough food to feed the population. That area will never consistently sustain a large population. What's crueller? Population control or allowing them to have as many kids as possible so they can starve to death?

Dirty Dingus McGee · 05-02-2017 10:36pm

For the people who think suggestions of population control is cruel what is you're solution to the problem?

Short term aid is not a solution to the problem and people have too much of a guilty conscience to admit that.

It is very irresponsible to have children if you are not very sure you can feed them and that applies to people living in any country.

wakka12 · 05-02-2017 10:39pm

gw80 wrote: »

Is this gona be the next big crisis seems as things are settling down in Syria,
Que the photos of dead children and charities telling us we should be emptying the whole of Somalia into Europe beacause of some white guilt we should all be feeling,
Meanwhile most of the rest of Africa are sitting on some of the biggest, richest natural resources on the planet, eg: gold, diamonds,oil, metals, ect,ect,
But they are too greedy and to corupt to get their **** together,
But no, this will be Europe's responsibility

Really, you're the victim in all this

gctest50 · 05-02-2017 10:40pm

pedigree 6 wrote: »

There's something seriously wrong with some people in this world now.

Here we have a famine in Somalia.

A Famine. Do people here even have a concept of what that is.
It's watching your parents, children, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles waste away and starve and die in shouts of agony.

So while we watch Jeremy Kyle on the 40 inch and tuck into a happy meal.

Consider that.

Some world.:mad:

Remind me again how much food is flown in here and wasted in this country.
Of course it's not the Irish people's problem. You just had the good fortune of being born here and not there.

Of all the food produced and wasted here surely the Irish government (themselves) can organise some shipments or air freight deliveries.

More often than not, mickeymouse help like that causes more problems unless it's a one-off event more or less

They've a drought

(one reason) why ?

River Shabelle is now dry in its most important lower reaches due to irrigation pumping in Kelafo and Godey.

why the pumpings ?

2003 Water Sector Development Program

Dr Crayfish · 05-02-2017 10:43pm

me_right_one wrote: »

There is nobody in these places dying of hunger. Drugs, maybe. But thats the users choice. Hunger? No.

Someone was talking about sterilising Somalians as they can't support their kids. Same can be said for lots of people in Ireland, yet they go and have a few kids already, meanwhile lots of working couples can't afford to have a kid with the creche fees and house prices. It's so unfair it's hard to fathom!

gw80 · 05-02-2017 10:43pm

pedigree 6 wrote: »

There's something seriously wrong with some people in this world now.

Here we have a famine in Somalia.

A Famine. Do people here even have a concept of what that is.
It's watching your parents, children, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles waste away and starve and die in shouts of agony.

So while we watch Jeremy Kyle on the 40 inch and tuck into a happy meal.

Consider that.

Some world.:mad:

Remind me again how much food is flown in here and wasted in this country.
Of course it's not the Irish people's problem. You just had the good fortune of being born here and not there.

Of all the food produced and wasted here surely the Irish government (themselves) can organise some shipments or air freight deliveries.

I wouldn't say i was lucky to be born here, id say i was capable of being born here despite the hardships and misery that my ancestors endured and over came with very little aid from other countries.
Do you think it has always been this way in Ireland and the rest of Europe for that matter,

enzo roco · 05-02-2017 10:44pm

pedigree 6 wrote: »

There's something seriously wrong with some people in this world now.

Here we have a famine in Somalia.

A Famine. Do people here even have a concept of what that is.
It's watching your parents, children, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles waste away and starve and die in shouts of agony.

So while we watch Jeremy Kyle on the 40 inch and tuck into a happy meal.

Consider that.

Some world.:mad:

Remind me again how much food is flown in here and wasted in this country.
Of course it's not the Irish people's problem. You just had the good fortune of being born here and not there.

Of all the food produced and wasted here surely the Irish government (themselves) can organise some shipments or air freight deliveries.

O my, how ridiculous.
We(Irish) have been doing collections, trocaire and many others, and sending aid from our taxs to countries like this for the last 40+ years. Nothing has changed. And no, we cant just start flying in happy meals.

If the country is so poor and bad, how do people keep riding and making babies? I'll tell you how, because there is no education for women and for many, their only goal is to have many babies.

There is nothing an average Irish person can do, nothing. We cannot change backward countries.

No Ireland cannot organise shipments or air freight deliveries. End of!

Somalia is facing a “very real risk” of famine - six million facing shortages

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