Somalia: Food Security, Remittances, and Counterterrorism

The Africa Research Institute published on 21 July 2014 a summary of a discussion on threats to Somali food security, remittances, and counterterrorism.  The participants were Degan Ali, executive director of Adeso, Sara Pantuliano, director, Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI, and Abdirashid Duale, CEO of Dahabshiil. 

Concerning food security, the participants said Somalia is on the brink of another famine.  They said there is a direct relationship between remittances and food security in Somalia.  An estimated $1.3 billion is remitted to Somalia from the diaspora each year.  They argued that counterterrorism legislation in the West has severely hampered relief efforts in Somalia and threatened remittance flows.