U.S. can't afford to ignore situation in Somalia

Nearly two months ago, for a brief moment, the full attention of Americans was directed back to Somalia. This time it was not "Blackhawk Down" but rather the action of pirates that captured the attention of the news media and subsequently the American public.
With all the concern for the captured American and the future safety of both U.S. and international cargo ships moving through the Gulf of Aden, there was little talk of why piracy is occurring and what Somalia's situation could mean for us.
Somalia is suffering from what the United Nations in 2008 considered the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. While initially much of this was due to the violence stemming from an 18-year power vacuum, drought and famine are now severely deepening the level of the crisis. According to the U.N., 3.2 million Somalis are in need of emergency food aid, approximately 45 percent of their population is suffering from moderate malnutrition and more than 1.1 million Somalis have been driven from their homes by violence.
The crisis is acute, and these people are in desperate need of international response. What Somalia received instead, however, was a "quick-fix" solution to the piracy that directly affected the United States. Although it is important to address short-term, immediate crises such as the hostage situation in April, it is also in the long-term interest of the United States to start addressing the situation on the ground in Somalia. ..more..http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_12479638