In the end, Somali famine preventable
The United Nations declared last Friday that Somalia’s famine is over. But the official declaration means little to the millions of Somalis who are still hungry and waiting for their crops to grow, according to authorities gathered at Harvard University. “The difference between famine versus not famine for most Somalis is a distinction without a difference,” said Ken Menkhaus, professor of political science at Davidson College, whose research focuses on Somalia and the Horn of Africa. Menkhaus said it was profoundly disappointing to be discussing another Somali famine, after he worked in the country during the 1991-92 one. Each famine, he said, has distinct characteristics, and this one unfolded in slow motion over the past couple of years. That’s at least partly because the Somali diaspora sent money home that delayed the worst effects. Paul Farmer (left) speaks with Caroline Elkins prior to the opening remarks during the “Sound the Horn: Famine in...