Abdul Aziz Arrukban, the UN humanitarian envoy, talks to refugees at Dagahaley camp in Kenya.
Abdul Aziz Arrukban, the UN humanitarian envoy, talks to refugees at Dagahaley camp in Kenya.

Millions of Somalis stare at starvation



UNITED NATIONS // For the new Somali refugees joining their 55,000 displaced countrymen in Dagahaley refugee camp, the spirit of Ramadan currently being observed across the Islamic world will be overshadowed by hunger and hardship.

The camp in north-eastern Kenya, about 80km from the officially-closed border with Somalia, is receiving a fresh wave of arrivals as drought and escalating violence add to the woes of a country that has endured almost two decades of instability. During a visit to the camp last week, Abdul Aziz Arrukban, a UN humanitarian envoy, highlighted the multiple crises being endured by Somali people and appealed to Muslim countries to demonstrate Islamic solidarity.

"My personal conviction and also our collective conscience tell us to take action," said Mr Arrukban. "As we are about to enter the holy month of Ramadan, I urge the international community, and in particular the global Muslim community, to exercise their moral and religious duty in support of the Somali people." The camp is part of the Dadaab complex, which houses 210,000 refugees, and has already received 38,000 new arrivals this year. The number of Somalis urgently needing food and other support has mushroomed to 3.2 million - a 77 per cent increase since the beginning of the year, according to UN figures.

The UN's latest food security assessment reveals Somalia is enduring its worst humanitarian crisis in 17 years, with drought and soaring food prices pushing about 43 per cent of the population towards hunger. According to the world body, massive inflation has been a major driver of the crisis. Spurred on by excessive printing of banknotes, food prices have increased by 700 per cent in the past year.

"In Somalia, I witnessed the devastating triple effect of drought, conflict and soaring food prices," said Mr Arrukban. "Families are desperate, food is scarce or non-existent, and women and children are bearing the brunt of the suffering." Somalia has recently experienced some of its worst fighting in months, with insurgents battling with pro-government clan militia in the southern port of Kismayu and similar clashes breaking out in the capital, Mogadishu.

The African nation's interim government and Ethiopian allies have faced an Iraq-style insurgency of mortar attacks, roadside bombings and assassinations since early last year. The violence has killed more than 8,000 civilians and uprooted another one million. Hopes were raised on Aug 19, when members of the transitional government and the main rebel group, the Alliance for Re-liberation of Somalia, signed the Djibouti agreement after months of negotiation.

The meeting, however, only achieved limited impact, with hardliners rejecting the accord and continuing to fight in a country that has operated without central authority since dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown by warlords in 1991. Jan Grauls, Belgium's envoy to the UN and president of the Security Council during August, said the world body welcomed this month's agreement, but acknowledged the reality on the ground remained a "dire security situation".

Members have long debated whether to send blue helmet troops to Somalia and restore order, but peacekeeping officials have warned that a council mandate would present a uniquely complex and dangerous theatre for UN soldiers. According to Mr Grauls, the council is split between members that advocate sending soldiers in quickly and reinforcing the Djibouti agreement, and others that highlight the "difficulty of deploying a force in an extremely difficult security situation".

Britain is currently drafting a resolution that will define a peacekeeping mandate, with John Sawers, its UN ambassador, saying the "requirements point to a capable and substantial military effort, if one is to be entertained". Members have also begun addressing which countries will be likely contributors to a blue helmet force in Somalia. Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, the UN's envoy to Somalia, who was instrumental in brokering the Djibouti agreement, said the international community must rethink its strategy towards the Horn of Africa nation.

"Somalia has received more assistance than any other Africa country - in the vicinity of US$8 billion (Dh29.4bn) over the last 10 years. To what?" said Mr Abdallah. "If we don't change, we will keep pouring money down the drain, and something has to change, and I think sooner rather than later." jreinl@thenational.ae