The Somalian Refugee Crisis

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Recommended: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 2014

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced, “Somalia's drought and refugee crisis is the most severe humanitarian emergency in the world, (UNHCR, 2011). Although estimates vary, about 800,000 people have left Somalia seeking asylum. Most now reside in refugee camps in bordering Kenya and Ethiopia. Many trek for days with little or food to seek safety and assistance in refugee camps only to find conditions that are no better. Host nations and humanitarian organizations cannot support the vast number of refugees that have already crossed the border and thousands more arrive every day. Maintenance of the current course of action is not the answer. Besides conjuring more international assistance and humanitarian aid, it is vital that more permanent solutions are pursued.

There have been many factors that contributed to this situation. The region that is now considered Somalia has gone through much strife throughout history. In the 1960’s it established independence and ratified a constitution, but in 1969 their elected leader was assassinated. A bloodless military coup ensued in which the nation’s Army assumed power. The Commander of the Army, Major General Mohamed Siad Barre became the President and instituted a military government.

In the 1990’s the economy struggled. Inflation caused prices for goods to skyrocket while the currency value plummeted. It took bundles of cash to make the simplest transactions. The country became restless under military rule and in 1991 opposing clans ousted President Barre, but then then failed to agree on a successor. Disorder and chaos ensued with clans and warlords fighting for power in local regions. The fighting hampered agriculture and soon caused food shortages. When warlords ...

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...rieved from http://ijrl.oxfordjournals.org/content/9/3/365.abstract

Schulte, Bettina, Dadaab spokeswoman, UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, (2011 July 13), General format, Retrieved from http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/07/13/worlds-greatest-ongoing-humanitarian-disaster-reaches-a-crisis-point/

Poole, Walter S., The Effort to Save Somalia August 1992 – March 1994 p.20 (2005 August) General format. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/doctrine/history/somalia.pdf

U.S. Africa Command, CJTF-HOA Fact sheet, (2011) General format. Retrieved from http://www.hoa.africom.mil/pdfFiles/Fact%20Sheet.pdf

Western, Jon, "Sources of Humanitarian Intervention: Beliefs, Information, and Advocacy in the U.S. Decisions on Somalia and Bosnia," International Security, Vol. 27, no. 1 (July/August 1999) General format. Retrieved from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/western1.htm

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