It must appear to much of the world that Somalia has ceased to exist. All
diplomatic missions there have been closed and Somalia’s seat at the United
Nations lies empty. Although limited UN aid programmes are operating,
bilateral donors have largely forgotten Somalia. Respected guide books and
travel information web sites dispense dire warnings to potential travellers
and major airlines no longer include Somalia as a destination. It’s not even
possible to write to friends and relatives in Somalia, for postal links have
been cut. Somalia, it would appear, is a country that much of the international
community has placed in quarantine.
