How the Civil War of 1991 Set Somalia up for Economic Failure; and Is Civil War the Common
Denominator to Rampant Extreme Poverty?
Part I: Main Objective, and Questions to be answered
For this case study that I’ve written, I looked to find a country that was devastated by war
in a way that it forced the rest of the nation into poverty. I found one in Somalia, and wanted to
do research on just how the 1991 Civil War tore the nation apart from the inside out, with special
regards to poverty. Through this case study, I aim to give a clear understanding of the wartime
situation in Somalia, the micro economical effects it has had on the citizens of Somalia, provide
other examples from around the world, and if there is a possible way out of their dire situation. I
purposely looked for one of the bleakest situations in the world with regards to poverty. Some
questions I will be answering from my research include:
1. What does war do, on a population wide scale that can directly affect a nation?
2. Are nations that are consistently at war plagued with higher poverty levels?
From my research, I came to the conclusion that countries with extremely high poverty rates
have very often been victims of civil war, or internal conflict. Constant internal wartime means a
continued draining of resources (which these countries don’t have much of already), as the
brutalities of war can have harsh effects on all aspects of life in a country.
Part II: Introduction to Somalia
Somalia is a country located in the horn of Africa that has been known infamously as one
of the most war torn, and violent countries in the world. It has a population of 9,330,872 as of
2010; with 5,841,125 taking up residence in rural areas (this is key to my discussion later). Some
of Somalia’s more horrifying statistics include a 32.5% primary school enrollment rate, a 50.6
year life expectancy, a 9% access rate to clean drinking water, and an alarming 180...