Peacekeeping· Somalia Intervention (Op RESTORE HOPE)
Op RESTORE HOPE / UNITAF
Operation Restore Hope was the American-led military intervention that put ground forces into Somalia to secure the humanitarian relief effort, with the Marines spearheading the Unified Task Force that came ashore to break the grip of famine and lawlessness.
Landing at Mogadishu, the Marines moved quickly to secure the port, the airfield, and the city, then pushed inland to seize the towns and relief distribution centers across southern Somalia so that food could reach the starving population. The intervention met little organized resistance, the armed factions largely declining to confront the powerful coalition force directly, and the Marines were able to establish security across the relief sectors and allow aid to flow. Restore Hope succeeded in its humanitarian aim, breaking the famine before the mission was handed to the United Nations. It stood as a model of armed humanitarian intervention, the projection of Marine power from the sea to enable relief amid the collapse of a nation.
Engagements in this conflict (6)
Record no. 816