Op-ed

A reality check on Somalia

The current emergency unfolding in and around Somalia is being portrayed by many aid organizations and the media in one-dimensional terms, such as “famine in the Horn of Africa” or “worst drought in 60 years”. But only blaming natural causes ignores the complex geopolitical realities exacerbating the situation and suggests that the solution lies in merely finding funds and shipping enough food to the Horn of Africa.

Op-ed

Somalia crisis demands more realistic portrayal by aid groups

Since the media recently renewed its interest in the decades-old crisis in and around Somalia, we’ve seen a surge of advertisements from aid groups, featuring starving children with visible ribs and staring eyes. The subtext to these ads is that if you don’t donate, you’re abandoning these children and they will die.