Background
In January 1991, the leader of Somalia, Mohammed Siad Barre, was overthrown by a coalition of opposing clans called the United Somalia Congress. After this revolution the coalition divided into two groups.
One was led by Ali Mahdi, who became president, and the other by Mohammed Farah Aidid. In total there were four opposing groups: the United Somali Congress (USC), Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF), Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM), and Somali Democratic Movement (SDM) which continued to fight over the domination of Somalia.
In June 1991 a ceasefire was agreed, which these groups however failed to hold. A fifth group; the Somali National Movement (SNM) had already in June seceded in the northwest portion of Somalia, renaming it the Somaliland Republic, with the leader of the SNM, Abdel-Rahman Ahmed Ali as president.
In September 1991, severe fighting broke out in Mogadishu which continued in the following months and spread throughout the country with over 20,000 people killed or injured by the end of the year.
These wars led to the destruction of the agriculture of Somalia which in turn led to starvation in large parts of Somalia. The international community began to send food supplies to halt the starvation. However vast amounts of food were hijacked and brought to local clan leaders.
The food was routinely exchanged with other countries for weapons by them. An estimated 80% of the food was stolen.
These factors led to even more starvation of which an estimated 300,000 people died and another 1.5 million suffering between 1991 and 1992. In July 1992, after a ceasefire between the opposing clan factions, the United Nations (UN) sent 50 military observers to hold sight on the distribution of the food.
Read more about this topic: Operation Provide Relief
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