Action and reaction: The case of the Somalia Drought

Action and reaction: The case of the Somalia Drought

“Nearly 90 per cent of the country faces severe water shortages leaving 3.5 million people in extreme hunger after the driest season in 40 years. ("Parts Of Somalia Hit By Severe, Climate-Fueled Drought" 2021)” Somalia’s recent drought crisis has been the fourth climate fueled crisis in the country after three consecutive failed rainfall seasons and has spiraled and put its citizenry's lives in danger. The Somalian state is one of the most vulnerable countries with respect to the climate crisis, the country is also embroiled in the middle of an ongoing political crisis between its President and Prime Minister with the lack of a stable government that hasn't had democratic elections in decades. The climate fueled crisis is a threat to the entirety of the international system, however, the victims of this crisis are the ones responsible for the existence of the international system itself, individuals. The climate crisis has varied intensities of impact as well, it differs in multiple ways. Firstly, the North-South, developed versus developing, least developing countries angle. Secondly, the disproportionate impact of the climate change crisis on minorities across the world. “In Somalia, climate change is driving rape, sexual violence and intimate partner violence. Droughts linked to climate change ravage the landscape with increasing frequency, hurting families who depend on farming and herding animals. guardian” In Somalia’s case the impact of this climate crisis and political instability, is on women and children and makes them more vulnerable to the rest of the population to gender-based violence (GBV).

A realist would explain the crisis as a power-oriented one. The focus on hard politics, power augmentation and desire for it fueled by the desire for survival is what realists would highlight in this crisis of the Somalian state. The political crisis in the government between the President and the Prime Minister of the government highlights this factor. The transition process for the state happens to coincide with the onset of the climate-induced disaster of the drought in the country. The struggle for the survival of the state is the most essential factor to a realist here. A traditional realist would view global cooperation for a solution to the climate crisis as something that is the last resort, even though the climate crisis and its effects do not discriminate and affects everyone. In a realist's view of the international system states can’t trust each other and states can’t be sure of anyone’s intentions.

A Liberal’s view would include a focus on the role of institutions in intervening in the climate crisis. The referent object of consideration in the crisis here is the free-standing individual. The citizens of Somalia are the ones to need to benefit from these interventions, in contrast to realism, liberalism views global cooperation through institutions as a solution to this crisis. Various organizations have highlighted the impact of the crisis on the population, especially the minorities, in this case, women and children. However, the distinction between high and low politics does play out in the functioning of liberal institutions. "But so far the UN has only secured three per cent of the $1.46 billion (1.23 billion euros) required to meet the needs of Somalis, Adam Abdelmoula, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, told a press conference in Kenya's capital Nairobi. ("UN Worried About Lack Of Funds To Tackle Somalia Drought" 2022)” The climate crisis is considered something popularly in the low politics realm and the already present Global North-South divide is also a factor that is evident in the lack of affirmative action taken towards the Somalian state and its crisis. “The United Nations warned Wednesday that it faces a crippling lack of funds to tackle Somalia's devastating drought, which has been "overshadowed" by other humanitarian crises including the war in Ukraine.("UN Worried About Lack Of Funds To Tackle Somalia Drought" 2022)”

A major criticism in the field of International relations has been the dominance of the West and its politics and narratives. The issues of the Global South are deemed as less important due to a multitude of reasons but fail to consider the impact of history of these nations. Numerous states from the global south have been under colonization by the Western states and the inherent “white man’s burden” mindset is a very common criticism of the Global South against the analysts of the Global North. These subjectivities, positions , environments in an individuals all account to one’s lived experiences. The constructivists approach places all these factors in to consideration while analyzing a security threat. “ This approach highlights the threat of a climate induced crisis in this case that of a drought, is an existential threat to the citizens of Somalia. The constructivist's would say its the most important for states to come together in order to mitigate and organize a collective approach to climate change in order to protect the citizens of Somalia. The varied impact of this act on women and children is also something highlighted in two ways, those who are home breadwinners and against those who migrate to camps to take refuge from the crisis in the state. “Increasing incidences of intimate partner violence, sexual violence and abuse is most likely to become worse as more women and girls suffer multiple displacements, loss of live livelihoods, food insecurity, sexual abuse and exploitation, poor access to markets and water insecurity. Puntland report on the Humanitarian situation estimates population affected 1,876,624 persons. Out of the total population it is estimated that 469,156 women and girls (25 percent of women and girls of reproductive age) are impacted by the drought events.” The constructivists take into account the existence of identities, in this case the identities that have to be accounted for are the women, children who are more vulnerable and exposed to risk of GBV. The identity of the state is also an important factor for constructivists, hence, the Somalian state that is currently a least developing state, which also signals the core interests of that state, so being a LDC and the current crisis, a constructivist would explain the crisis as being linked to the interest of state with being linked to its existence and survival of its political regime.