Somalia’s Descent into Desperation

At the epicenter of Africa’s grief and suffering is Somalia, reduced to a state of virtually irredeemable misery by war and starvation. Savage civil strife among clans has destroyed the capital of Mogadishu and killed 150,000 people since the government was overthrown 19 months ago. The survivors in this mostly desert land are victims of a famine that threatens the lives of 1.8 million of Somalia’s nearly 6 million people. After months of internal resistance and foreign indifference, aid is finally coming. A U.S. food airlift announced in mid-August has just begun to bring relief, as officials struggle to distribute supplies safely amid the political anarchy and prevent even worse fighting over the food itself.