This document provides an overview of developments in Anti-Piracy from 06 December 2011—10 January 2012. Further information on the topics covered is available at www.cimicweb.org. Hyperlinks to source material are highlighted in blue and underlined in the text. We encourage you to contact the Anti-Piracy Team Leader or our Subject-Matter Experts for more detailed information.
Severe drought and famine destroyed livelihoods and displaced hundreds of thousands of people in 2011. The Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) reports that as of December, nearly 250,000 Somalis remain in a state of famine, while four million others still require humanitarian assistance.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) claims that Somalia is host to the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. According to the article, although three areas were downgraded from famine to emergency phases, the situation remains severe. It is estimated that one child dies every six minutes in Somalia.
The heightened insecurity caused by Kenya’s military action against al Shabaab militants in southern Somalia, combined with al Shabaab’s banning of 16 humanitarian organisations from central and southern regions of the country, has complicated the recovery process and the ability of aid agencies to provide lifesaving assistance.
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