Morning Briefing

In the wake of "decades of conflict" and famine, Somalia "face[s] yet another widespread terror: an alarming increase in rapes and sexual abuse of women and girls," the New York Times reports. "The famine and mass displacement, which began over the summer, have made women and girls more vulnerable. Many Somali communities have been disbanded," leaving many women alone and vulnerable to al-Shabab militants, "rogue militiamen and even government soldiers [who] rape, rob and kill with impunity," the article states, adding, "Often, the women are left wounded or pregnant, forced to seek help" (Gettleman, 12/27).