War, poverty, and disease in Somalia

An important NY Times article on the need for more aid and international focus on the underreported humanitarian crisis in Somalia.

One thing that I resent in this article, however, is the pitting of one humanitarian crisis (Darfur) against another (Somalia), as if efforts to help the two were mutually exclusive:

“Many of these kids are going to die,” said Eric Laroche, the head of United Nations humanitarian operations in Somalia. “We don’t have the capacity to reach them.”

He added: “If this were happening in Darfur, there would be a big fuss. But Somalia has been a forgotten emergency for years.”

The officials working on Somalia are trying to draw more attention to the country’s plight, which they feel has fallen into Darfur’s shadow. They have recently organized several trips, including one on Monday, for journalists to see for themselves.

Both Somalia and Darfur should be priorities for the mainstream media, as well as other areas like Burma, Uganda, Chechnya, etc. We shouldn't pit these crises against each other, but rather cut down on our focus of less pressing news.

For example, these crises should trump the Natalee Holloway death, anything to do with Kanye West's mother and Larry King, Britney Spears, or Dennis Quaid's children--all "top news" items on cnn's website as I glance at it now at 1:05 a.m.

I guess in order to get some more press the Somalis should start taking rapping lessons or become hot blonde chics. Even better, they could develop a drug addiction and then walk off Larry King. Maybe then they'll be deserving of more of our attention.