By Amita Sharma
As the famine in Somalia spreads, a San Diego Somali man leaves for his homeland today to hand deliver aid. His goal is to assess the crisis and work on self-sufficiency.
United Nations officials say tens of thousands of Somalis have died in the famine. Many victims are unable to walk to faraway refugee camps where food is available, and the U.N. has added another region in southern Somalia to its list of famine zones.
San Diego Somali Youth League Chairman Abdimalik Buul is leaving for Somalia today to give $30,000 in aid to groups helping victims. One of his goals during the trip is to figure out what will make Somalis less dependent on outsiders.
“For instance you can go there and collect money and give them water but if you have a water well project, it costs about $8,000 to $10,000 for eight fountains,” Buul said. “The cost of operations is a cent a day, and this could be something that’s used for generations and generations.”
Related Content:
 |
Local Somali Youth Take Lead In Fundraising for Famine Victims
With the memory of refugee camps still fresh in their minds, members of Somali Youth League hold banquets and car washes to raise money for famine victims back home.
Local Somalis Raising Funds for Famine Victims Back Home
The Somali Youth League of San Diego plans to hold a fund-raising banquet on Aug. 12. The money will be used to buy food packets to send to Somalia.
Locals Discuss Famine in Somalia
Robert Montgomery, regional resettlement director for the International Rescue Committee in San Diego, and Hussein Nuur, a Somali refugee who has been living in San Diego since 1992 and director with Horn of Africa, talk about their perspectives on the crisis.