Famine and Propaganda

[Amirsade]

The United nation estimates about 12 millions people from kenya, somalia and ethiopia are starving, three million of those are somalis.

[Beenaale_No1]

Refuse to believe that our number of affected by drought is that high. The population of Somalia is 9 million, so basically one third of our population is affected? Not having that for one moment.

The reason these NGO's are in existence is cos of crisis like these. Nobody does anything for free. People got vested interests.

[Voltage]

Two little phaggots eating McDonalds and writing on their lap tops in their Western living rooms as they recline back and then having the option of picking up their remote and watching a nice movie or catching up on a popular sitcom.

There was a severe drought two years ago and years prior and other years. Why was famine never announced in Somalia since 1991 when thousands of Somalis were dying due to famine then? You two have the iq's of a chimp. I mean to be honest my observations of Somalis has generally taught me to think of the average Somali as the most dense, backward, primitive, suspicious, and self-righteous pompous fool but to for you to question who is starving or not when you are not in any position to calibrate takes the cake.

They should put a ban on both of you from posting in this forum.

[934]

Not only famine but for some people especialy the west anything can be used as a tool of propoganda in order to advance their interest, whether its politic or other wise. And for this lil fogot who think he is the only one that ever cared about the people effected by the famine, go take your superficial crocodile tears to those that don't know what you really are. A focking qabilist who's hate for certain clan is well known on this site has made a habit to talk down to other somalis that expresse their views on the famine, as if he is the only man that can truely feel those people's pain and suffering. There is no doubt that the famine in Somalia is a blessing in disguise for lots of people and an opportunity to use this as a propoganda. And to translate that as been cold and uncaring is just a lame attempt of portraying oneself as holier than thou.

[Beenaale_No1]

Two little phaggots eating McDonalds and writing on their lap tops in their Western living rooms as they recline back and then having the option of picking up their remote and watching a nice movie or catching up on a popular sitcom.

There was a severe drought two years ago and years prior and other years. Why was famine never announced in Somalia since 1991 when thousands of Somalis were dying due to famine then? You two have the iq's of a chimp. I mean to be honest my observations of Somalis has generally taught me to think of the average Somali as the most dense, backward, primitive, suspicious, and self-righteous pompous fool but to for you to question who is starving or not when you are not in any position to calibrate takes the cake.

They should put a ban on both of you from posting in this forum.

OK, time to get off your mighty high horse. Come down to the rest of us please.

I never questioned the severity of the problem. Im questioning the figures being branded about. If you wanna believe the honourable, kind, honest Western media outlets, then by all means be my guest. After all they would never lie, manipulate and spread propaganda would they? But do not insult me for questioning their sources.

[grandpakhalif]

You may have a point, Western interests usually scream on top of their lungs when an opportunity arises. We already know uranium supply is falling and that Somalia has thousands of tons of uranium. We also know that toxic dumping continues to occur on Somalia's shoreline, yet we see no crocidile tears here. In fact, I remember during the "Restore Hope Operation" conducted by America and other nations where there were reports of resource extraction from several different provinces, during the so called aid effort. Why were the previous droughts ignored while this one is on primetime news? This is a matter of exploitation, robbery and many Somalis here have bought into their so called emergency appeal. They also want to demonize the stakeholders, Al Shabab. Why do you think this so called UN Famine was announced just days after the U.S said it would step up its fight against Al shabab? Prior to this famine, most of the world was ignorant of Al shabab's existence, this 'emerency relief effort' announcement by the UN is nothing but a pretext for the US to eliminate 'insurgents'. A propaganda war, shifting the world's attention to the 'sadisitic and barbaric nature of the Somali Islamists'. Just yesterday I was watching the news, a counter-terrorism specialist was commenting on Al shabab's 'negative' role in hindering efforts to 'relieve Somali citizens from poverty'.

We know they did this public campaign against the Taliban prior to 9/11 and continue to demonize them today, I'd be very weary of supporting this so called relief aid by UNICEF(which profits from selling expired food aid to warlords and then destroying the agricultural livlihood of farmers) and other shady agencies.

[Beenaale_No1]

I dont trust NGO's at all. Look at Haiti and the amount of NGO's who were there with the hundreds of millions of dollars sent to them in "aid". That money has disappeared into thin air, whilst the Haitians are still starving.

Britain plegded £145m to South Somalia for the victims. £145m is a lot of damn money. That money would go a long way in helping them, but we all know the people on the ground won't see a single penny of it.

And as grandpa said, why was previous droughts ignored whilst this one is all over International media? Think about it.

[GeoDesic]

Politics aside, I listened on the radio to a program live from the refugee camp this morning. They were interviewing people who made to the camp. There is genuine need for help because the crops failed and the draught killed the animals nomads relied on. With nothing left for them, and no Aid coming to Southern Somalia because of US sanctions, they had to leave their homes and journey to Kenya. These are natural calamity driven refugee crisis and has nothing to do with wars and somali politics. The United States is to blame for the crisis for their sanctions on NGO'swho might have operated in Southern Somalia. As the reporter put it in describing the US threat to NGO groups QUOTE: "A cup of rice diverted to Alshabaab would draw a severe sanction on you(NGO)" UNQUOTE. One of the NGO heads was saying it is because of US threats to Groups who might help Somalis in their Own country and prevent refugee crisis that caused this famine to be more painful. The US embassy spokesperson of course denied that charges and is now trying to defend the US policies of holding somalis Hostage for few individuals hiding somewhere in Somalia.


Alshabab took less hardline stance according to the radio program and is willing to help NGO's bringing Aid. It is the US government who is the loser in this tragedy in failing to see the human need in pursuit of their Anti-terrorist nation-choking policies. Somalia suffered because of US policies.