Somalia’s waiting game
The politicians are talking and the international agencies are pledging aid, so why then are Somalis still dying?
Somalis are tired of waiting for progress. Those were the sentiments expressed by Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, the Somali prime minister, at a meeting of political leaders in Mogadishu, the Somali capital. The politicians had gathered to discuss the formation of a new government to replace the fragile Transitional National Government (TNG).
But even as the talking goes on, Somalis are continuing to die – victims of drought, famine and decades of war.
International aid has been pledged, but the UN is warning that the famine is spreading.
So why is the aid not reaching those most in need? And how can aid agencies operate while fighting rages?
Inside Story, with presenter Felicity Barr, discusses with guests: Abdullahi Godah Barre, the Somali minister for Planning and International Cooperation; Joachim Delville, the head of the Somalia Mission for Medecins Sans Frontieres; and Rozanne Charlton, the UNICEF country representative to Somalia.