To address the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, the new US administration should overhaul its Somalia policy.

Overview
Seventeen years after the collapse of its central government, Somalia remains a failed state. The Transitional Federal Government, supported by the international community and recognized by the United Nations, has failed to bring peace and stability to the country. Following the Ethiopian government’s military intervention in support of the TFG, Somalis were caught in a violent conflict and fled their homes in Mogadishu and other cities in Southern Somalia. Today Somalia is the world’s greatest humanitarian disaster and aid agencies are unable to respond to the immense scale of needs. The insecurity preventing assistance is a consequence of the failed international political and diplomatic efforts. In light of the dramatic situation in south central Somalia, U.S. policy requires a complete overhaul, prioritizing humanitarian concerns over narrow counterterrorism objectives.

Current Humanitarian Situation
Somalia is the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. More than 3.2 million Somalis – 40% of the population – are dependent on external assistance, and hundreds of thousands of people have fled the country to seek refuge in neighboring countries.

There are approximately 1.3 million internally displaced people in Somalia and over 400,000 Somali refugees in neighboring countries. While the situation has continuously deteriorated in the past two years, the last months have seen worsening indicators, including high numbers of refugees going to Kenya and Yemen.

Exacerbating the problem has been the extreme difficulty in providing assistance. Somalia has always been a challenging operating environment for aid agencies, but it has now become one of the most dangerous places for humanitarian workers, alongside Iraq and Afghanistan.

Refugees International is also concerned about Somali refugee populations in neighboring countries and conducted missions in Yemen in March 2008 and Djibouti in October 2008.

Action Needed
The incoming U.S. Administration should overhaul U.S. policy towards Somalia by taking a comprehensive regional approach, prioritizing the provision of humanitarian assistance and calling for a truly inclusive political process.