frogblog » somalia

Mapping the Pirates

frog — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:28:37 +0000

The last time the world went pirate crazy, it was Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley who caught our attention. Now it’s the Somalis. But piracy is a much wider problem around the globe, as this Live Piracy Map shows.

I struggle to believe that there have been no reported instances of piracy in or near our little part of the planet this year. One has to ask if we would be able to cope with an outbreak of piracy in the Pacific, should one occur.

I also wonder if the rate of piracy is really up or not, or whether it is just the size and location of the booty that has sparked the recent media interest.

Ahoy meh hearties

frog — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:07:40 +0000

Well, you could go down the clean energy pathway, with wind and solar power, or you could take the other response to peak oil and just nick yourself a Saudi Arabian supertanker.

The capture of the [Sirius Star supertanker] is one of the most spectacular strikes in maritime history.

“It looks like a deliberate two fingers from some very bright Somalis. Anyone who describes them as a bunch of camel herders needs to think again,” one Somalia analyst said.

Well, obviously they weren’t camel herders – camels can’t swim quite that far out to sea. Anyway, keep your eyes open for any petrol being sold at below the market rate. You may be receiving stolen goods, fallen off the back of a camel.

Photo credit: red betty black

Top Ten Most Underreported Humanitarian Stories of 2007

frog — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:35:11 +0000

Over the break, Médecins Sans Frontières, or MSF, released it’s tenth annual list of underreported humanitarian stories. As usual, the list is a pretty harrowing read:

Top Ten Most Underreported Humanitarian Stories of 2007

Displaced Fleeing War in Somalia Face Humanitarian Crisis
Political and Economic Turmoil Sparks Health-Care Crisis in Zimbabwe
Expanded Use of Nutrient Dense Ready-to-Use Foods Crucial for Reducing Childhood Malnutrition
Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Spreads As New Drugs Go Untested
Civilians Increasingly Under Fire in Sri Lankan Conflict
Conditions Worsen in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Living Precariously in Colombia’s Conflict Zones
Humanitarian Aid Restricted in Myanmar
Civilians Caught Between Armed Groups in Central African Republic
As Chechen Conflict Ebbs, Critical Humanitarian Needs Still Remain

This frog recommends that you pick one link to follow and read about. It is interesting that the DRC and Columbia have fallen a bit this year and Somalia has moved into the top spot. The main press release is available at the MSF Australia site. MSF is not an official NGO/charity in NZ, but Kiwi expats are heavily represented in MSF projects around the world. I have just started reading Heart of Darfur, written by Kiwi nurse Lisa Blaker about her mission in Darfur with MSF. I’m not sure I’m going to like how the story ends…