Somalia why poor

A particularly destructive one, and one that takes decades to come back from. With the collapse of the Somali state came more violence, chaos, poverty and an intensification of famine in Somalia.

Once more famine remains in great part a man-made catastrophe. All of the s was a game of alliances between Ethiopia and opposition groups to the Somalian government, which ended up in its downfall in From then on, the Somali state was no more. What makes no doubt, though, is that it contributes to aggravate poverty and famine in Somalia. Among classic explanations, there is the problem of clan leaders who traditionally seek power and refuse compromise.

Then, the organization in clans itself is often viewed as a barrier to state-building. With so many local leaders, you can count on the people itself being wary of a powerful central government. Every now and then Ethiopia is also accused of helping armed groups or organizations that seek local power thus helping to destabilize the country.

Then there is a more complex level of understanding. One aspect is to look at the many failed attempts to reestablish a central state in Somalia. First the presence of a central state is far from being a guarantee of peace, as you can see in many other African countries where rebel groups challenge the central authority using violence.

Actually Somalia has fairly peaceful and even lawful places, even if it changes over time. Armed conflicts are often more frequent and worse in Somalia's closest neighbors. In fact state-building efforts generate more conflict than anything else since it creates groups that win local power and seats in the hypothetical Parliament over others through necessary compromises.

But of course these compromises are never obtained and thus conflicts appear. The other clash is with how foreigners and Somalis understand the state. Having a working state is also a condition for receiving foreign aid. For Somalis the state is a way to accumulate power, to exploit and dominate the population while embezzling all the aid money for oneself i. To them it certainly doesn't rhyme with ending poverty or famine in Somalia. But the heart of the matter is that in the end… both pro- and anti-state accounts are true, given the experience of blood-thirsty states in many Central African countries or elsewhere throughout history.

The Horn of Africa is populated by an extremely diverse population, ethnicity-wise. This creates many conflicts, that are intensified by the fact that the borders of these countries were cut out with a blind ruler by former colonialists. This new lines have forced many groups to live together completely out of the blue and led them to fight for central political power. Still, even a purely "paper state" or ghost state recognized by international authorities would be of great help for Somalia to be eligible to receive international aid.

Finally as far as as trade goes, more intensive and systematic exchanges throughout the country can only bring more peace, better distribution of resources and goods and thus ultimately less famine in Somalia. March 22, There is a necessary method within this madness: for many Somalis, access to such resources is dependent on their clan — that is, if they have a clan at all.

Again, the causes of poverty in Somalia are countless, but the IMF and the loss of a centralized government certainly caused the greatest damage.

When the rain stopped, the entire population was at the mercy of drought, with no centralized government to provide relief from impending famine. The fate of more than half of all Somalis now lies in the hands of foreign and humanitarian aid. Somalia and its citizens like Ibrahim have fought to make it this far on a challenging journey; the question is, will help be waiting to greet them?

Photo: Flickr. Blog - Latest News. In theory, macroeconomic development seems reasonable. Growing Dependency Somalia was largely self-sufficient in food until the s. Mogadishu is the capital of Somalia, located in the eastern coast of Africa. This country continues to be challenged with natural disasters along with a lack of political stability and security, which all adds up to the extreme poverty that already affects the country.

After the destruction caused by decades of conflict, a new federal government came to power in Mogadishu according to the guidelines established by the Provisional Constitution in The emergence of the new ruling party under this new framework has enabled the country to get international assistance in resolving its ongoing economic and political issues.

International relations were further augmented after a peaceful transition of power occurred in that made the National partnership for Somalia successful, assuring longer-term support from international organizations toward alleviating big issues. The top 10 facts about poverty in Mogadishu presented in the article below portray the different aspects of the challenges facing the capital such as its historical context, ongoing efforts and the hurdles that the citizens need to overcome to achieve better future of the city.

In addition, there is a huge trend in the Somalian diaspora community of returning to Somalia with the much-needed economic force for growth and development.

Therefore, producing sustainable solutions for the issues of poverty in Mogadishu and the nation as a whole described above is a worthwhile investment with potentially big returns. Located in one of the most poverty-stricken regions in the world, Somalia is one of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Poverty in Somalia has been an enormous issue for more than a century but has recently been slightly alleviated due to increased foreign aid and government stability. Here are ten key facts about poverty in Somalia. Although Somalia is still one of the poorest countries in the world, progress is being made to help change the status quo. Increased government stability is leading to improved infrastructure and security.

The government is already pushing initiatives that will help mitigate some of these facts about poverty in Somalia. This coupled with an increase in foreign aid dollars flowing into Somalia should bring a brighter future for the struggling country. Twenty years of conflict have led to conditions of abject poverty in Somalia , with the destruction of infrastructure, economy and institutions.

In , the government collapsed, leaving the country fragmented. Even with the establishment of a new government, conflict continues in Southern Somalia , leaving the country in the midst of poverty, famine and recurring violence.

Due to independent governing bodies, two areas, Somaliland and Puntland , experience more stability with regard to socioeconomic conditions. Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with the Human Development Index putting it among the five least-developed of countries. The poverty rate is currently 73 percent.

Seventy percent of the population in Somalia is under the age of 30 and the life expectancy is as low as 55 percent. Unemployment among youth is widespread, as 67 percent of youth are unemployed. The region is home to more than one million refugees, many of whom are living in conditions of abject poverty.

Food prices went up by percent, making it hard for most of the population to buy food. Food insecurity has affected more than two million people. One in eight children under the age of five suffers from malnutrition. Only 42 percent of children go to school.

Livestock management is the main source of livelihood. In Somalia, , people require assistance. Poverty in Somalia is rooted in civil conflict and limited resources, natural disasters and lack of an active central government. The conflict has emerged between clans for the two basic resources: food and water. The situation has come to political power; whoever is able to claim leadership of a clan can have a share of the limited resources and political power.