By Carolyn Abdenour
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

DADAAB, Somalia – On Wednesday, the United Nations (“UN”) declared a famine in the Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions of southern Somalia.  Al-Shabab rebels control these regions and put a ban on foreign aid in 2009, claiming the foreign aid workers were Western spies and Christian crusaders.  More recently however, Al-Shabab allowed limited humanitarian aid to reach these communities.  Al-Shabab, one of the most active al-Qaeda-affiliated groups, is a militant Islamic organization, designate by the United States as a terrorist association. On Tuesday, the United States pushed the Shabab rebels to permit foreign aid workers to provide services for the people freely.  The United States attributes the region’s famine to the controlling behavior of these rebels.

Across East Africa, ten million people face hunger resulting from a severe drought affecting the regions. The current famine is the result of a combination of regional conflicts, drought, and poverty, leaving tens of thousands of Somalis fleeing Somalia for Kenya or Ethiopia.  Somalia last experienced a famine nineteen years ago.

For the past two decades, Somalia has lacked an effective government.  During this time, Al-Shabab rebels have taken power in many regions and their continuing rise is alarming to many outside observers. The UN reports 80% of the nearly half a million malnourished children in Somalia in the rebel-controlled areas.

In their efforts to control incoming foreign aid, Al-Shabab have attacked and kidnapped foreign aid workers and refuse to permit aid agencies to operate.  Additionally, they have imposed restricted conditions for foreign aid agencies to provide services.  In 2010, the World Food Program (“WFP”) removed their workers because the rebels harassed and threatened them.

Presently, although a new dialogue between the rebels and the WFP is underway, Salman Omer, WFP Deputy Country Director, said, “[Our] relief effort [is] still hampered by insecurity, problems of access and lack of resources.”  The UN Children’s Fund (“UNICEF”) made its first airdrop of emergency supplies in two years last week.

Throughout this process, Al-Shabab may gain by allowing humanitarian aid into the country.  Since the United States needs to cooperate to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, it will face more difficulty targeting Al-Shabab leaders in a joint CIA-Defense Department initiative.  Somali watchers also observed the rebels may be trying to regain support in areas where they were on the defensive.

Johnnie Carson, US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, commented “Al-Shabab’s activities have clearly made the current situation much worse…[its] current policies are wreaking havoc and are not helping Somalis living in the south-central part of that country.”

For more information, please see:
CNN – Aid agencies deal with terrorists to reach Somalia’s starving – 21 July 2011
BBC – UN declares Somalia famine in Bakool and Lower Shabelle – 20 July 2011
Financial Times – UN declares famine in rebel-held Somalia – 20 July 2011
IOL News – Somali rebels urged to allow aid trucks in – 20 July 2011