Famine and Somalia: The Challenges of Providing Aid in a Failed State

The Takeaway

Millions of Somalis are mired in a deep humanitarian crisis that is now driving thousands of refugees over the border to Kenya daily. Famine is devastating the country, and the process of seeking outside aid is complicated by  by an ineffective government, interference by the al-Qaida linked group al-Shabaab, and internal strife. Regardless, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for international aid agencies to bring food and supplies. Will Ross, East Africa correspondent for our partner, the BBC, reports from Nairobi, Kenya.  Sam Worthington, president and CEO of InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international non-government organizations, says the media’s inability to access Somalia has restricted the amount of TV coverage that Americans have seen, compared to recent relief effort

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