Date: Wednesday 7th September, 6-8pm
Venue: Parliament, committee room 16
Description
Since the UN finally declared an official famine in Southern Somalia in Bakool and Lower Shabelle, the international response to the food crisis in East Africa has been ratcheted up a notch. But despite the aid, many feel that the international community has resoundingly failed to ensure food security. Given the unmistakable early warning signs – two seasons of poor rainfall – wh...
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Date: Wednesday 7th September, 6-8pm
Venue: Parliament, committee room 16
Description
Since the UN finally declared an official famine in Southern Somalia in Bakool and Lower Shabelle, the international response to the food crisis in East Africa has been ratcheted up a notch. But despite the aid, many feel that the international community has resoundingly failed to ensure food security. Given the unmistakable early warning signs – two seasons of poor rainfall – why did the world take so long to react? Twenty years of insecurity in Somalia has reduced the capacity of humanitarian NGOs and the UN to access the region. Since the militant Islamist group al-Shabab forced out aid agencies in 2009 there has been an increased politicisation of humanitarian aid, with certain countries reluctant to provide assistance that might benefit al-Shabab. The panellists will discuss the way regional security issues have affected the response by NGOs and governments to this food crisis.
Speakers
Sally Healy, OBE, associate fellow of the Africa Programme at Chatham House
Patrick Watt, Director of Policy and research at Save the Children
and Nuradin Dirie, independent analyst and former senior special advisor for UNICEF.
Please RSVP for all RAS events to rsvp@royalafricansociety.org
