The Somalia Famine Declaration and Response – What went well, what did not, and the imperative to improve

A day ahead of FAO's International Scientific Symposium on Food and Nutrition Security Information (17-19 January), this pre-symposium event looks at how the famine in Somalia was reported from the field and how the international community responded.

Post-mortem on Somalia Famine

Could the famine in Somalia in 2011 been handled better by the international community? Hundreds of humanitarian workers gathered at a special event in Rome to discuss what was known when about the worsening situation on the ground and how to convince donors and governments that people are in mortal danger. Luca Alinovi, head of FAO in Somalia, and Chris Hillbruner, an analyst at the Famine Early Warning Systems Network in Washington DC, give their views.