Editor's note: Jens David Ohlin is associate professor of law at Cornell Law School and the co-author (with George Fletcher) of "Defending Humanity: When Force is Justified and Why" (Oxford University Press, 2008).
Somalia is known to most Americans as the setting for the book and film "Black Hawk Down" and as the world center for modern-day pirates. It is the poster child for failed humanitarian interventions and for good intentions gone wrong.
But none of that should blind Americans to the horrific humanitarian crisis developing in Somalia, a growing famine that threatens to kill hundreds of thousands of people if they do not receive help from the international community.
Of course, many of the problems that doomed the U.S. intervention in 1992, and led to "Black Hawk Down," remain. Despite years of diplomatic efforts, Somalia persists in a state of near anarchy. The central government controls only a fraction of the country, and warlords with private militia still battle each other for control of territory and trade. Now, an Islamic insurgency has further eroded security in the region, and organized groups of pirates use Somalia's anarchy as a launching point for raids against merchant vessels.
A humanitarian intervention in Somalia might be politically difficult for President Barack Obama to justify. With U.S. commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as military operations in Libya continuing without congressional approval, Obama has likely used up his political capital.
But this does not mean that there are no options. The U.N. Security Council can - and should - refer the situation to the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for a full investigation into crimes against humanity in Somalia.
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Why, why, why is there NOTHING about the famine on CNN's home page? Unfathomable that it isn't news when hundreds of thousands of people are dying in Africa.
But millions have been dying in Congo for 14 years now, and Congo continues at the bottom of the priority pile for both governments and media. Why change your editorial policy now?
It's galling.
If you want to help, there's a way donate tents DIRECTLY to Somalia and get them shipped immediately. A U.S. military contractor has a facebook page that allows people to donate directly and get the tents shipped right away: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Donate-Tents-for-Somalia/214583395257499
What happened to the $565 MILLION dollars of US tax payer dollars sent to Somali for humanitarian aid since Oct 2010? That wasn't enough to feed all of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia? With poor oversight of aid organizations and the UN, I would be surprised if even half made it into food to feed people. In addition, it's likely a lot of the aid that makes it into the affected area is confiscated by al-Shabaab and other tribes. These individuals could be living a better life but they did not want us there.... recall Blackhawk down. These people need to stand up to al-Shabaab and take their country back.
I find it crazy we gave half a BILLION dollars in the last 10 months to a country whose's population despises our way of life, religion and culture.
Watch Blackhawk Down then we will talk
@OldDawg, don't be an idiot. We don't need to watch Blackhawk Down. You're old but NOT wise. YOU need to watch the news and how dozens of Americans are being killed wholesale (how about you read the news about the "Chinook Down" where 22 US seals were just killed this past week, 3 more than in your stupid example) and they were killed by the same stinger missiles we sold to the Taliban to fight the Russians before. All for control of the flow of oil and the pipeline from the Caspian sea, NOT for humanitarian reasons. Of course, American lives lost for oil are entirely acceptable, but God forbid they are lost fighting for dying starving children. A@%#&ole.
cos after all the comments- CNN gets it. Americans would rather donate to the family's of the fallen SEALs.
The U.S has not interest there. I bet they would help them a lot more if they had oil or gold. Bush, Obama, not a big difference.lol. The sad part is people will only judge the American people, while it's all politics of power and interest.
[.....In 1997, UN calculated that for a total of $40 billion per year rich countries could cover the following for ALL the world's people: basic healthcare and nutrition -$13 billion; water and sanitation --$9 billion; basic education --$6 billion; and reproductive health for women --$12 billion (United Nations Development Program (UNDP) 1998, 37)]
-----–From the book "Awakening Hippocrates", published 2006 by American Medical Association. lease obtain this book. See my other posts for more quotations. The monumental work, published 2006, wrecked revolution in international health care, universities economics and politic and health care departments. However, the book, written for the layman (with all key terms defined) remains unknown among good citizens, the true target of the book. If you are curious, look it up on Amazon and see the praises accorded to it.
This is assuming the money doesn't fall into corrupt hands...
The US provided $565 MILLION since OCT 2010. For that amount of aid, I'd think all of Somalia to include al-shabaab would have food....
I think when people are starving they are to week physicaly to even think......They are letargic and it is dificult for then to do something about their situation........that is way We have to help, it is our moral obligation for being so blessed.......If I do no eat properly a day for what ever reasons...I do not want to get out of my bed...........We have to change our minds to have a better world. It seens like an impossible task Or?
ALL that "help" would cause,....is even more deaths, and I mean ,up in the millions.....Again, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. African nations WILL HAVE TO STOP OVERPOPULATING !!!!!!!!!! Producing children is the easy part......especially, if after that, you lay back and expect the WHOLE WORLD to take care of them FOR YOU ! That land CANNOT support THAT MANY people ! STOP HAVING THAT MANY children !!!!! It also helps if you don't KILL the people who show up to feed you ! It is ABSOLUTELY outrageous how we cant say to the Third World to control their population ! Overpopulation IS the root cause of MOST of those problems....And, lastly : Nobody FAILED those people....they failed themselves, and ARE full of hate against the western world. I AM from a small, poor country....we NEVER thought the World owes us with ANYTHING when we were down.....but were VERY grateful if somebody showed up to help.....
Steve , all I have to say is , you are ignorant ....
hey Stevie, my first inclination when I notice a poster capitalizing every other word is to dismiss their post. It's obvious you believe that highlighting certain words creates the appearance of a lucid argument, however the exact opposite is true. You look like a 15 year old trying and failing to compete intellectually with adults.
steve do you want to start an stop having babies campaign Are you in the know ?can you do this?
I totally agree with the 3rd comment. Hate is the root of the problem and religious ignorance is the second bark and the branches is the overpopulation and without control on these three things, the country will continue to fail and find themselves in a vicious cycle over and over again, waiting for the world to come and save them. There seem to be a long way out of this situation because it has just gotten out of control. Frankly all countries are having their own issues and it seems as if no one is listening but I believe the other countries wants to see them rise up from this situation and help each other..the rebels see their own people are dying and if they are so heartless to watch and do nothing than i can only imagine how they feel about the western world and their support. May God help us all!
Sorry, read Blackhawk Down, and you'd realize that it was the citizens of Somalia who attacked our soldiers and celebrated as their mutilated bodies were through the streets.
I'll be donating to the fallen US SEALs and Special Operations Warrior Foundation, not the Somalians who will grow up to be terrorists. That's the reality. That's why no one is helping.
The world is helping and a huge amount of food and medicine is sent there by rich countries such as U.A.E, Kuwait, Norway and Australia etc I understand USA is in economic difficulties and can't donate that much anyway.......
The U.S.A has donated over 580 million Britain is the second largest donor with 208 million. Saudi Arabia is the largest Muslim donor giving 60 million.
"Al-Shabaab has a powerful incentive to prevent Somalis from voting with their feet: It would deprive the insurgency of valuable legitimacy if its population is slowly drained away."
In many countries citizens serve the purpose of paying tax and casting their votes to legitimise their regimes. Otherwise they don't count.
The United States of America, Brittain, France, Italy, Canada, China, and all the Colonized countries around the World are to blame. These aformentioned countries can finance wars in numerous countries, but refuse to give food and water to suffering people. This world proves time and time again that People of Color don't matter, and are candidates for extermination by the so-called West. GOD will not allow this.
Highly educated people of colour (aboriginal Africans) have repeatedly told the west to stop donating because it ends up in the wrong hands and is wasted... this has nothing to do with racism. It's unadulterated truth about some of these countries. Birth control and a long term solution – not a band aid solution – is what has been needed in this area for decades. Unfortunately this cycle of famine in the midst of political unrest will never end. The world bears no guilt because we've been here before and nothing seems to change – that is the definition of insanity.
Really how is it always the white mans fault? Now we are to blame for the drought and for their own people attacking them.
To answer teh question YES it is a crime against humanity and all countries are to blame especially the rich ones... There is plenty money to finance wars that kill people but there is not enough for those poor black Africans laying to die in front of the TV set of each one of us.... I don't know how you can eat a full meal after seeing those poor kids dying and eaten out by dogs and remain incensitive..... You can't blame those children for being alive..it is the last argument left for those who there hearts turned into stone....
The Somalis brought this one themselves. We tried to help them once, and it ended with 40 Americans and over 1000 Somalis dead. And then, years later, they resort to piracy. The only way to help them is to send in a huge multinational occupation force (mostly from Africa), kill every terrorist in the country, kill off all of the pirates, and have the country rebuilt from the bottom-up. There's no saving Somalia in its current state.
"brought this on themselves." typo.
To jim . First, i dont think u know much abt Somali , when u say Somali citizens where against our soldiers while theire helping the poor Somali pple in 1991 thats not true. At that time, those who against Us policy where only one clan so called Hawiye , and the rest of Somalia were agree the operation .so plzz dont narow minded man .
read friggin' book. Women and children concealed men with RPGs. This wasn't actions of one militia against our soldiers. The entire town of Mogadishu came out against our boys- who were simply there to help.
wrong
You don't know that much about Somalia, do you? by then the entire Mogadishu was controlled by a single Somali clan led by general Aidiid all other clans were either wiped out, fled or killed in the process of occupying Mogadishu. It was this clan that opposed any intervention by any outside force lest they lose their loot of an entire city! This warlike clan descended on Mogadishu from the NE parts of Somalia which is an extremely impoverished part of a poor country. The more prosperous city dwellers were no match they left and fled......
We are all being manipulated by the media to help terrorists. The Obama Admin is considering softening US Anti-Terrror laws so bribes can be paid to al-Shabab so food can get to hungry Somalis. What the F???? Terrorists getting aid dollars so we can have another generation of starving Somalis in 20 years. NO!. Let nature take it's course!
you are alive by virtue of living in a prosperous country, if nature were to truly take its course you will end most probably a slave or even worse dead......
I would not characterize it as a crime against humanity. Every ten or so years there is a famine somewhere in Africa due to drought, war or a breakdown in government.
We are headed into deep Depression. Not recession. There will be many more American families on food stamps. They will be paid for by... me. Am I willing to reach into pocket for millions of excess Somali children? Maybe, if it's my choice. But am I willing to be forcibly taxed to give them a handout? Hell, no.
Oh, and as for this idea that if we do not send aid they will respond by engaging in piracy.... just sink their vessels on sight. For that matter, recognize the government in Hargeysa and use a base in Berbera to sink the pirates from Puntland.
I agree if they needed our help (USA) they would reach out to us, but they only hate us. It saddens me to see so many people suffer, almost any veteran would rater dish out bread than bullets. We can only hope a great leader can arise to lead these people out of their hell, but I don't think they want the Americans there to help. I'm not sure to many people want our help anymore? Return to Isolationism?
And, it should be open season on the pirates. Piracy should not be tolerated. Rounded up and sent to GITMO as well!
I have watched over the years as those nations use famines as weapons of war against each other. I've seen entire shiploads of grain bombed to keep them from reaching 'the enemy'. It's a nearly unsolvable problem when you have to bring an entire army with the shipments to make sure they reach the people.
Build Desalilination Plants in Kenya Entria and AFrican control Somalia. Give them access to year round running water to prevent drought and famine. Fix the problem don't just treat the symptoms save you millions in the long run lives and dollars
Sending aid into Somalia should be treated as treason!
It is so sad to see the starving kids there etc. However, my friend said that there are water can be digged from wells and all they need is education to do so and famine solved. Unfortunately, the Somalia Government turns to the evil deed or part of the leaders conduct piracy which gets even bigger nowadays. (my limited knowledge though ) I trust God does not forget anyone, it is the people themselves who must take responsibility and behave like people, as the consequent is always back to us YOU CAN NOT EXPECT THE MORNING WITHOUT THE NIGHT the fact is the fact so THEY MUST MAKE GOOD CAUSES I think.
Let's face it , we don't care if those people die. People without posessions aren't worth saving, this is how we feel. The charity funds have been pumping money into a bottomless pit for years, they don't understand their donators who want structural changes in Somalia that will turn the country for the better. Namely getting rid of modern Islamic slavery, and those who kill in the name of Allah to enslave the people. To get a real government with real solutions instead of baseless religious hogwash that has no substantial proof to base itself upon. To establish real structural changes, roads, water supplies and schooling that outbans religious brainwashing.
AS I'VE SAID BEFORE ON ANOTHER POST ON THIS SITE:
Let the Somalis starve.
And I mean it. I call it natural selection. Throughout history civilizations went extinct due to their inability to adapt to changing times. Be it having a bazillion kids you can't take care of, due to some backwards religion of yours, the land not being able to support so many people, whatever..to me it's all the same.
Perhaps it's a result of the war plaguing Somalia….whatever. The U.S. shouldn't get involved with it after this debt fiasco. No: we shouldn't send money (or aid) anywhere if we can't clean up our own mess first.
Not to mention the image of Mogadishu mobs dragging the bodies of dead American soldiers through the streets (who were trying to help by the way) is still fresh on my mind. Dragging them through the streets while cheesing for the cameras. That's what happened the last time we (infidels) got involved in a humanitarian assignment in Somalia. For those of you too young to remember it it was during the Clinton years; look it up.
"These are innocent women and children caught up in a war between fighting factions who had nothing to do with Black hawk down". I don't care. They get to pay the price for it, unfortunately. They're starving because obviously the fighters don't care about them. That's the warlords' problem, not ours. How much money has been poured into Somalia for how long, and after all this time they are STILL starving and in shambles? Doesn't matter where the money's going, or where its gone all this time, if the Somalis haven't gotten it together by now, then they're probably not going to, ever.
Like I said, I believe in natural selection. Like in the animal kingdom, in the human world, some cultures make it, some go the way of the dinosaur and it it is the latter then it was meant to be. Rome didn't last forever either. Maybe Somalia's time to self-destruct has come.
I'm with you. And I'd like to add minneapolis, chicago, LA, KCK, and any other number of urban gang-run areas. Here's my problem: why can't we just carpet bomb somalia and the gang-run metro areas in our country?
The existence of Somalia is a crime against humanity.
Let them eat cake
This is natural selection. It does not mean that those who acknowledge are hateful and cruel. On the contrary, it is a self evident truth that encompasses the entire animal kingdom. We are no different. Furthermore, we should not throw our money at on ongoing problem that will resurface every year like a hopeless money-pit.
The world will only support some many humans. If everyone lived we soon would draw straws for who would have life or death. Sad as it is it could happen anywhere.
Sad you call this sad?
No it's called Karma. What goes around comes around wish idiots would stop trying to lower the numbers.Watch Blackhawk down and then decide.
Really? Does CNN actually donate to Somalia and try to help them, or do they just send Sanja Gupta on a vacation to Africa? I bet a lot of them somalis could eat for the cost of your plane ticket Sanja...
If I misunderstanding,please correct me ,I will very very appreciate.
But according to this website.....
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/famine
Definition of the word"famine" is "starvation".
I don't think people hungry is crime.
But it is exactly cause by "natural disaster" and even famine or starvation in Somalia is not "crime against humanity".
But it became "humanitarian crisis" like something in "Pandora box" that cause a lot of people feel su*ks,or some stuffs like that.
(To be precise,not only in Somalia but in eastern horn of Africa region,Somalia,Ethiopia,Kenya,Djbouti or something???)
@Ann Shannon, because there is other news that is more recent then that. Everyone knows Africans are starving. But what's new? That's why they put other stuff on the home page. And also, a contributing factor for that maybe that some people just really don't happen to give sht.
I honestly dont mean to sound racist but any counntry ran by blacks is in a state of crisis nearly all the time.
Look at Haiti, and most of Africa, I am not against them at all and have donated and helped as much as possible.
I truly am sorry for all the hell they go thru, but they must find a way out of all the bloodshed and crimes against one another, and stop blaming everyone else for their problems. If only they would see that we are not trying to change them for any reason except to deliver them from the hell they continually put themselves thru.
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