Somalia didn't go away...

...We just stopped caring about it.

As newspapers and some media cover the continuing unrest in Somalia's capital, John Holmes, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, warned that Somalia had become the most dangerous place in world for aid workers.

Meanwhile, the Somali prime minister claims victory and declares that Ethiopian and government troops are in control of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, after nine days of battles.

Let's pause for just a moment here. The past nine days have certainly seen as escalation in violence in an already war-ravaged capital (and country) but it's not as if the situation in Somalia hasn't been in a downward spiral for, oh, over fifteen years, while the international community (and by this I mean governments and heads of state) hasn't exactly been working too hard to remedy it.

And what of the people still in Somalia? A recent report from OCHA estimates up to 300,000 people have recently been displaced. Aid relief is estimated to be reaching about 60,000--when it can get to them. Apparently the government 'checks' on aid shipments are necessary to prevent insurgent attacks. Hhhhmmm....right.

BBC Arabic asked for Somali viewpoints on the situation in their country; you can read it here. Also worth noting is an interview on the BBC with Asha Hagi Elmi, a Somali woman who founded her own party, the Sixth Clan, to represent women, in the now-in-exile (again) Somali government.

Want to do something? You can find a list of groups working in Somalia on ReliefWeb here.