Blog 3: At least 15 dead in attack on high-profile Mogadishu hotel

Shocking events have occurred in Somalia on Friday when the Central Hotel was under attack. The events at the hotel killed 15 people, including a couple members of Parliament and a deputy mayor. The viscous attack started from when a mysterious car packed with fierce explosives blew up not to far from the presidential place. The first explosion triggered a flow of event which first included warfare between the guards and the attackers. Then followed a blast from a suicide bomber which was a female near a mosque. The attackers then shot there way in to the building. Bloodshed was all around the area as explosives went off around the building. The 20 people was also wounded throughout the attack on the hotel. Al-Shabaab is an Islamist terrorist group that is taking responsibility for the attack at the Somalian hotel. The presidential palace tweeted about the situation. "He the president of #Somalia: 'attacking lawmakers and citizens just after Friday prayers: #AlShabaab are un-Islamic and anti-democracy." Since the mid-2000s, they have tried to take control of Somalia. The reasoning behind that is possibly because the country of Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world so the control and power behind the officials aren't very strong. The attackers in the group have aimed at Somalian officials, soldiers and institutions. The hotel attack isn't the only attack that the group has carried out in the recent years. In 2013, Al-Shabaab gunned down shoppers in Nairobi, Kenya. They tortured the shoppers and after four days 67 people were counted to be dead. Al-Shabaab wants its respect and will continue to attack until they get what they want.


http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/20/africa/somalia-violence/index.html

Blog #2: Measures to save water in Brazil

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This article written by AlJazerea and agencies talks about the water drought that is currently effecting communities in Brazil. Communities in Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, is being hit the hardest by the lack of water that the country is facing. 20 million people are beginning to hoard water supplies and collect rain water due to a lack of water in the main reservoir. The rainy season in Brazil is coming to an end and the reservoir is only at 6 percent capacity. The article states that the shortage of water is beginning to effect jobs, public health and the quality of life for Brazilians in this region. Officials in Sao Paulo are considering cutting off consumer consumption of water, allowing water usage only two days out of the week if conditions do not change. This is likely the action to be taken if rains do not pick up for the remainder of February and March. But in the mean time people are currently buying water at a rate that is hard for sellers to keep up with.

Analysis:

The shortage of water in Brazil is obviously a major issue that is effecting a large number of people. But is sitting on their hands and waiting for another peak in the rainy season all that officials there are capable of doing to help the issue? And is cutting of the consumer's water the best answer if the rain does not come? The article does not mention any concerns that the World Health Organization(WHO) may have with issue or if they intend to aid the country in any way. I think that this is an issue that the WHO should definitely be involved in due to the negative public health issues that water shortages cause.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2015/02/brazil-drought-prompts-drastic-measures-save-water-150213154556221.html

Phylicia Smith
2/13/15 10:45pm