75. UNKNOWN EFFECTS OF THE ETHIOPIAN OCCUPATION AND GLOBAL RECESSION
Around the world countless big financial institutions banks, insurance firms and mortgage lenders, and businesses have become bankrupt around the world especially in the richest countries of America and Europe and governments bailed them out with hundreds of billions of dollars to rescue their financial systems and economies from collapsing. Even millionaires have been lost much of their fortunes. This economic turmoil also triggered of unprecedented levels of hyperinflation and soaring prices. All countries took emergent measures to mitigate this economic crisis and salvage their economies and avoid mass unemployment and social unrest. In doing so, among marshalling their resources, most countries asked the IMF and World Bank rescue loan plans.
But unfortunately the extent of the negative effects of the Ethiopian occupation and this global recession on the Somali economy and living standards are not yet known and measured except the scant information in the following in the few lines. Referring to the severe economic hardships in Somalia one UN report noted ‘In this context it is disturbing to see that remittances which form an important social safety net for many of the population have also declined by 15% as a result of the economic downturn. Both of these factors suggest that we should be doing more than we are to alleviate distressed populations from the extreme pressure they are now facing.’(48) and in another a UN agency said ‘A worsening drought, the global food crisis and a falling currency pushed the cost of imported cereals in Somalia up by almost 400 percent in 2007/2008, according to . . . FAO, and Somalia is behind Zimbabwe in the countries worst hit by food inflation.’ (49)
5.1. NEGATIVE HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF POVERTY
Such prolonged cyclic and deep poverty trap in our country, at least in the last 30 years, has not only been a mass killer and painful misery but it has dire health and developmental consequences for our children both in the present and in the future and our nation’s viability. Such terrible consequences include vulnerability to diseases (both normal and epidemic ones), morbidity and high mortality rate of infants and children and shorter life expectancy of adults. Poverty also creates stunted physical growth of children and variety of physical and mental disabilities. Chronic malnutrition particularly the lack or low protein and energy seriously affects the growth and intelligence of children making them stunt and mentally dull (50) So, the protracted and prevailing mass poverty in our country, has been (will continue unless reversed) creating a physically stunted, mentally weak and prematurely decimated population in the medium term and the long run as well. These long running conflict and poverty will have dire psychological implications as UN OCHA warns. ‘The current environment of conflict, displacement and insecurity in southern and central Somalia has a seriously negative impact on children’s and young peoples’ long-term psycho-social welfare and healthy development’.
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