 In 1991 , the United States initiated Operation Provide Relief ( UNOSOM I ) which was part of a United Nations ( UN ) endorsed effort called The Unified Task Force ( <unk> ) , to provide humanitarian relief . In August 1992 , President George H. Bush sent , 25 @,@ 000 US troops ( mostly US Marines from I <unk> ) to the Republic of Somalia and the mission was renamed Operation Restore Hope , also known as UNOSOM II . Its main objectives were to provide humanitarian relief , initiate ' nation building ' , <unk> the various factions , restore law and order , help the people set up a representative government , and restore the infrastructure . 
