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Click
picture to enlarge
 Somali piracy is a
symptom of a larger problem.
The fighting between Somalia's
warlords has killed up to a million people, and forced many more
to flee their homes. In the process, Somalia's farms and entire
system of agriculture have been nearly destroyed. This, along
with years of drought, when there has been little rainfall, has
led to terrible famine in Somalia. The photo on the left shows
two young victims of Somalia's years of famine. The picture on
the right shows one of many tent cities in Somalia, made up of
people who were forced to flee their homes because of violence.
What do you think it is like to live like this?
The fighting in Somalia also destroyed its economy, making
it one of the poorest countries in the world. The average yearly
income in Somalia is only $650, compared to about $30,000 in
the United States. Still, the Somali people have managed to create
their own system of trade to keep their country running. And
Somali people who have left the country often send money to their
families to help them survive.
Meanwhile, Somali pirates can get more than $1 million by capturing
a ship. Can you understand why some Somalis are willing to
risk their lives and the lives of their hostages as pirates?
The Somali government has almost no power to stop the pirates
from operating off Somalia's coast. What do you think the
United States and the rest of the world's powerful nations can
do to help the people of Somalia?
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THOUGHT
QUESTIONS:
Can you understand the point
of view of Somalis who think of these pirates as heroic figures?
Should the U.S. and other powerful
countries have done more in the 1990s to keep Somalia out of
the hands of the warlords? Or would that have been looked at
as interfering?
Would you serve as a crewmember
on a ship that had to travel to this part of the world?
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
BBC News has a Q&A about the Somali pirates.
BBC News also has a country profile of Somalia.
The CIA World Factbook has statistics and
information on Somalia.
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