Ingrid Price
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Nearly two months ago, for a brief moment, the full attention of Americans was directed back to Somalia. This time it was not "Blackhawk Down" but rather the action of pirates that captured the attention of the news media and subsequently the American public.
With all the concern for the captured American and the future safety of both U.S. and international cargo ships moving through the Gulf of Aden, there was little talk of why piracy is occurring and what Somalia's situation could mean for us.
Somalia is suffering from what the United Nations in 2008 considered the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. While initially much of this was due to the violence stemming from an 18-year power vacuum, drought and famine are now severely deepening the level of the crisis. According to the U.N., 3.2 million Somalis are in need of emergency food aid, approximately 45 percent of their population is suffering from moderate malnutrition and more than 1.1 million Somalis have been driven from their homes by violence.
The crisis is acute, and these people are in desperate need of international response. What Somalia received instead, however, was a "quick-fix" solution to the piracy that directly affected the United States. Although it is important to address short-term, immediate crises such as the hostage situation in April, it is also in the long-term interest of the United States to start addressing the situation on the ground in Somalia.
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., has been a lone voice in Congress on the issue, stating last month that piracy is, "an outgrowth of [Somalia's] collapse, lawlessness and economic desperation that have plagued the country for over a decade."
If the humanitarian crisis is not convincing enough for action, consider this: Because of the volatility on the ground, Somalia is becoming increasingly conducive to terrorist recruiting and training. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson just last week reported to Congress that there is "clear evidence" of al-Qaida presence in Somalia. Though few may remember, in 2006 the United States not only launched strategic air strikes against Somalia but also supported an Ethiopian invasion into Somalia to overthrow the Islamist government.
There was no proof that either of these military actions succeeded in meeting certain anti-terrorism objectives, but what it did underscore was the potential international threat that the volatile country of Somalia poses.
Piracy and terrorism are symptoms of the dire humanitarian situation present on the ground in Somalia. In desperation, individuals in that country are turning to extreme measures to gain resources and legitimacy.
Last month the United States had a golden opportunity to redirect international attention to the humanitarian crisis as the primary source of these threats. Instead, the news sensation dissipated as quickly as it had elevated, leaving Somalia to again suffer in the shadows.
Ingrid Price holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Utah where she authored her senior thesis on U.S. policy in Somalia, pre- and post-9/11. She is a 2008 Truman Scholar.