UN Declares Famine In South Somalia

The Somali population in Columbus is one of the largest in the nation, meaning that the ongoing famine in Somalia is particularly relevant to our city. In this Reuters article, they explain that "Every day of delay in assistance is literally a matter of life or death for children and their families in the famine-affected areas." One goal of Oxfam's GROW Campaign is to modernize our food aid system, which is not only unnecessarily expensive but slow to respond as well. It is estimated that tens of thousands have already died in the famine, and a more efficient food aid system would decrease the amount of time it takes to help the 3.7 million Somalis in danger. The Somali famine also shows the widespread effects that hunger has: "Nearly 135,000 Somalis have fled since January, mainly to Kenya and Ethiopia. An average of 1,700 and 1,300 Somalis are arriving in Ethiopia and Kenya respectively each day." These forced displacements can create tension in neighboring areas, leading to more problems. More information on the Somali famine can be found at CNN and the BBC.