Does Foreign Aid Help or Hurt the Famine in Somalia?

The Food Crisis in Africa

These days in America, people are faced with the issue of overeating. A study in 2018 found that thirty-eight percent of adults in America admitted to overeating. However, people on the opposite side of the globe are faced with a completely different food issue. Today, six million people are at risk of starvation in Somalia (Mohamed). Millions have already died of starvation, and more deaths are inevitable at the rate the famine is continuing. Three consecutive years without rain means crucial crops and livestock cannot be sustained, and an important source of food is lost to the people. Families, especially women, take extreme efforts to get by before they are finally forced to ask for help. They reduce the amount of meals they eat, sell almost all their possessions, and cross hundreds of miles to try and find a better life (Mohamed).


Drought, poor harvests, and instability are the primary causes of the famines (Huber). The lack of sufficient food and money in these regions means that they are left to rely on other countries’ assistance. Internal political conflict also causes dissension in the government and ignorance to the issue of the famine. What can foreign countries do to assist these countries in their time of need? At first the answer seems simple. There are hundreds of donation and charity organizations dedicated to raising funds towards this cause. However, with these organizations comes both pros and cons.


Most charity organizations go through the same process to raise funds. They have a website and ask people to donate there. They might run ads on Facebook or Google. They might have volunteers stand with a sign outside a grocery store. People can donate money after seeing these advertisements, or on their own good will at the charity. All of this raises a substantial amount of money, which gets sent off to Africa to help the starving people there. Some organizations also take the money and directly build showers and toilets, as well as ship in emergency water to the people who need it (Oxfam). Everyone’s happy, end of story? Unfortunately not.

Somalia is one of the highest recipients of foreign aid during times of crisis. Recently, some argue that the charity and donations to Somalia have fueled corruption and further weakened Somalia’s economy. In 2011, Somalia’s Public Management Unit noted that over $370 million in funds were missing from its treasury (Fee). The plausible explaination for this is that corrupt government officials withdrew the money for their personal use instead of for famine relief. Since 2006, donors have flooded the country with over $300 million worth of aid in the form of clothes, food, and pharmaceutical products (Fee). Instead of helping the society, these donations have more harmed the economy. Shopkeepers who sold the same kind of supplies end up being forced to close shop because their customers are getting their products for free.

Another key obstacle in delivering aid to Somalia is the involvement of the terrorist organization Al Shabab. It is said that the group has a history of interfering with aid delivery and even taking the supplies for their own profit (Huffpost). The threat of terrorism stops humanitarian aid to areas of Somalia under Al Shabab’s control, which, if it continues, will be devastating for those currently in need.

Is foreign aid the way to go to solve this hunger crisis in Africa? Americans have been shown to overwhelmingly want to help at time of need, whether facing a daunting humanitarian crisis on our shores or abroad. It’s in our DNA (Time). The UN’s World Food Program chief David Beasley and Ambassador Nikki Haley have already been raising awareness around the world as the crisis has escalated (Time). In supporting those who are still desperately in need of help, donors are honoring a sentiment found in both the Quran and the Talmud, the idea that “Whoever saves one life, is considered to have saved the whole of humanity” (Mohamed).

Bibliography:

Huber, Chris. “Africa Hunger, Famine: Facts, FAQs, and How to Help | World Vision.” World Vision, World Vision, 28 Aug. 2017, www.worldvision.org/hunger-news-stories/africa-famine-facts. Accessed July 2018.





Mohamed, Nadifa. “Opinion | A Fierce Famine Stalks Africa.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 12 June 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/06/12/opinion/a-fierce-famine-stalks-africa.html. Accessed July 2018.

Oxfam. “Famine and Hunger Crisis.” Oxfam International, Oxfam International, 9 Mar. 2018, www.oxfam.org/en/emergencies/famine-and-hunger-crisis. Accessed Sept. 2018.

Time. “The Fight Against Famine Needs More Voices.” Time, Time, 3 Aug. 2017, time.com/4886827/famine-hunger-africa-yemen-we-are-the-world/. Accessed Sept. 2018.

Fee. “How Foreign Aid Hurts Famine Relief in Somalia | Ibrahim B. Anoba.” Fee.org, Fee.org, 24 May 2017, fee.org/articles/how-foreign-aid-hurts-famine-relief-in-somalia/. Accessed Nov. 2018.

Huffpost. “Somalia: A Man-Made Famine.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 27 July 2011, www.huffingtonpost.com/michel-gabaudan/somalia-a-manmade-famine_b_910809.html. Accessed Nov. 2018.