Somalia Famine Denied By Al Shabab, Militant Group

Even as the U.S. estimates that 29,000 children have died of malnutrition and related illnesses in Somalia, al Shabab, the militant group that controls large swaths of the country, has denied there is a famine.

Journalist Jamal Osman ventured inside some of the hardest hit regions. While there, he spoke with al Shabaab spokesman Sheik Ali Dhere, who, in his first Western television interview, denied there was a famine taking place.

"The famine has been averted due to support and aid from business, the Somali communities and the Muslim community," he told Osman. "And even though there was a drought, people have received widespread relief and support from outside communities. So there is no famine - but there is a drought."

As Channel 4 reports, he also insisted that the group has not blocked aid groups from operating in their territory. "We've only refused those who would do more harm than good," Dhere said, "and those agencies with political agendas."

Meanwhile, the UN reports that the famine has swelled the ranks of the militant group as the organization hands out money while food prices skyrocket.

Watch Channel 4's interview with al Shabab's spokesman below:

Comments

[Craig2]

05:35 PM on 08/06/2011

Good afternoon, Well, good, that settles that then. Move along. Nothing to see here.

[dex216]

10:48 AM on 08/06/2011

Some people say that there's no government in Somalia. But this al Shabab group is apparently acting like a government. The aid groups have to cooperate with them in order to get the aid in.

Anyways, I don't think it's the responsibility of the US govt to help the people in Somalia. That does not mean that individuals shouldn't help. There are charities over there who are trying to help, and one can donate one's time and/or money to those groups

[rini1946]

11:02 PM on 08/05/2011

why are you jumping on USA there is a whole world out there that should be helping and why send them help the goverment troops take the food and supplies. What should happen is the un should be doing stuff there not just us. And the idiots who bring those people here and the ones from hattie to suck us dry so we can not take care of our own should have to pay for thier care here and not add to our poors burden. It is stupid the people here there was a goverment offical in ohio that got a goverment job for someone in new orleans. (yes i know its in the USA) but we have people out of work here that have lost thier house and savings because of layoffs. who has been paying ohio taxes all thier life. first take care of your own than you can help others.

[JacksonD]

05:01 PM on 08/05/2011

This spokesman for Al-Shabaab looks quite well-fed, does he not?

[WheresNixon]

04:37 PM on 08/05/2011

This is absolutely disgusting! Who could stand by and watch people (including children, some very young) starve to death while there is food and water available? Al Shabaab has consistently refused to allow these people to receive resources which have been provided for them from all over the globe. Mothers then out of desperation allow their boys to be taken off to fight in order to save their lives (so they think). Most are never heard from again! War is one thing (not that I agree) but this, this is criminal! I am outraged, saddened, and sickened!

[rjh252a1]

08:17 PM on 08/05/2011

Remenber the power of prayer. Keep the faith be weary but don't faint. A group of people,my self included, started praying for Sudan ( way back when no seemed to care) and we felt helpless. Within less than a year the world including the US took notice. Now look. Still not perfect but much improved. Blessings

[Craig2]

05:36 PM on 08/06/2011

And, they are still killing people in Darfur. What was you prayed for?

[1oldhippie]

04:23 PM on 08/05/2011

You can tell America is on the decline.
There was a time, one baby died and we were "on it".
NOW, with TWENTY NINE THOUSAND, babies dead, We the People, and our Congress will debate helping, after our five week vacation and only if we can cut social security pay to for it.

[WheresNixon]

04:53 PM on 08/05/2011

The rebels will not allow the food in. People have been trying and they are not getting it. Sadly the rebels instead benefit from all the aid the world has provided.

[Shomali]

03:24 PM on 08/05/2011

I read recently in the Nation magazine, the US government has a black-site rendition prison in Mogadishu, where torturing the prisoners is the norm. The site was created under Obama administration with the current government which is in control of Mogadishu, which was essentially installed by Ethiopia with the US support.

[Brendan Mahoney]

03:09 PM on 08/05/2011

It's a huge part of US policy! If the US didn't try to put Siad Barre back in power during the Black Hawk Down operation the Somalia people wouldn't of been so outraged and mad at the US. But once again the US put a dictator in charge who would be a puppet for their foreign policy instead of putting someone in charge who would look out for the interest of the people.

[MrUniteUs]

01:00 PM on 08/05/2011

Terrible

UNICEF is on ground saving lives, but they could use some help.

http://www.supportunicef.org/site/pp.asp?c=9fLEJSOALpE&b=7542627

http://www.unicef.org/

[furby6]

02:05 PM on 08/05/2011

There's also Oxfam.

[alsm9]

03:38 PM on 08/05/2011

I donated money to Unicef Canada. It's very sad, I don't even really like reading about it.

[jasjohn128]

12:12 PM on 08/05/2011

Conditions in Somalia are not my fault, and they are not the fault of the U.S. government, its people, or its policies. Tough luck, but that's Africa the way it's always been, and what else is new?

Anyone who feels they've got a duty to "fix things" over there, be my guest. Just pay your own way and don't go passing the hat around here.

[jerelwilhort]

01:35 PM on 08/05/2011

Well thank God you weren't born in that part of the world...

[littlepuffycloud]

02:50 PM on 08/05/2011

'tough luck'?

Let me guess...you call yourself 'Kristian', right?

[jasjohn128]

03:40 PM on 08/05/2011

Nope. And I don't call myself a teary-eyed American sap who feels every bit of misery on this savage planet requires my attention, intervention, and dollars either.

This big old world is mostly a bad, bad place with plenty of suffering to go around for everybody. It's barely been a moment in human history since a few of us talking apes - in the western world, mostly - developed science and tools and gave us mass media to see up close what it looks like out there behind every rock, bush, and decaying corpse in the savage areas.

Doesn't mean we gotta do something about it just because (now) we can see it and get our noses rubbed in it when we look at the news. As for Somalia and places like it, particularly in Africa, this is just natural selection going on the way its always done.

It's ugly, but it ain't us. If we've got a real national interest in any of those places, say for resources, security, or political expedience, then that should be the limit of our involvement. We've got no right to make conditions worse in these places, and at our best we always try not to, but we've got no duty to make things better there, either.

My tribe is here in the West, not in Somalia. Let 'em work it out on their own, I say.

[Marisa Stein]

03:53 PM on 08/05/2011

I agree with him and I'm not a christian