Humanitarian relief interventions in Somalia: The economics of chaos
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The United States became involved in the crisis in Somalia for humanitarian reasons. The Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance attempted to reverse the process by which the market price of food had become distorted and relief food was being looted for resale and the purchase of weapons. The US relief strategy had various aspects, but increasing the flow of food in order to drive down the price whilst also selling some of it through Somali merchants (monetization) and using the proceeds to fund employment projects, had the greatest potential to end the economic chaos. However, monetization was widely misunderstood and resisted by some in the relief community, and it only made a significant impact over time when accompanied by military intervention. 1996, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
