About Somalia

Somalia has a rich sea faring history, and is home of the ancient kingdom of Punt. Between 1896 and 1920 it was known as the Dervish State and it became an ally of the German empire during the first world war. In 1920 it was defeated by the British and areas of it became a British protectorate, although the entire country was never formally colonised.

Italy too acquired parts of what is now Somalia, and following the countries independence in 1960, the two became one as the Somali Democratic Republic. In 1969 a coup installed Mohamed Siad Barre as president, and, although a harsh socialist regime then ruled the country until its collapse in 1991, many improvements were made to the country, particularly in the field of literacy.

Armed and supported by Ethiopia, clans from across Somalia brought down the governing regime, but this civil war badly affected food distribution, leaving an estimated third of a million people dead. Since that time the country has been in almost perpetual conflict with no real rule of any government. Even the United Nations withdrew, considering the area too unsafe to operate in.

The area known as Puntland is now effectively a pirate state and is that area's main economy. Somalia is now fractionalised and in dispute with itself and its neighbours over borders and territories. There is some hope of elections in 2011, but the prospects for peace are low. Life spans and literacy rates in the country have fallen again and even today there is outbreaks of fighting across the land and particularly around the capital city of Mogadishu.

Aid agencies do operate in Somalia, however workers have been kidnapped and killed as well as facing other threats. Most of the work in Somalia is to get humanitarian aid in quickly then withdraw and leave longer term planning until there is some semblance of order in the country. As a result, millions are suffering both physical and emotional trauma as well as shortages of life essentials.