This archive report was first published on 4 September 2019.
On September 4, 2019, a narrow victory was achieved for Somalis at the United Nations Security Council, as six members blocked a bid by Kenya to impose additional counterterrorism sanctions on the Islamist armed group Al-Shabab in Somalia.
The proposed sanctions would have jeopardized the delivery of humanitarian aid to Somalia, where 2.2 million people - more than one-fifth of the population - face severe hunger.
Al-Shabab continues to conduct deadly attacks on civilians and forcibly recruit children, including the January 2019 assault on the Dusit hotel in Nairobi that left 21 people dead.
However, Al-Shabab is already sanctioned by a broader Security Council sanctions regime, which includes an arms embargo, asset freezes, and travel bans, with an exemption for humanitarian assistance.
Humanitarian operations in Somalia are incredibly complex, restrictive, and dangerous, and aid workers have been warning that additional counterterrorism sanctions could scare donors into suspending emergency funding.
While the Security Council members who blocked the proposal - Belgium, France, Germany, Kuwait, Poland, and the US - commendably prevented a potential humanitarian crisis, the council could still do more to facilitate aid to civilians trapped in areas where armed groups operate.
