The longer term
We're helping families break the cycle of drought and hunger.
This crisis was preventable - the warning signs were there - but the international community failed to act in time. That's why we and other charities have developed the Charter to End Extreme Hunger. We need world governments to sign up to it so the horror of East Africa doesn't happen again.
Help us by urging David Cameron to sign it
In the region
- In Kenya we’ve been working with communities to prepare for this drought – for example in Mandera (a heavily affected region) we have been giving 12,000 families cash to help build their resilience to the coming drought – that’s 12,000 people that are significantly less likely to fall into food crisis now.
- We don’t want to create dependency on food aid, so we’re working to respond to the immediate needs and long term needs in a sustainable way.
- We’ve changed the traditional food aid package – transferring food distributions to local traders instead of aid organisations, and then substituting part of the imported food aid with local, fresh, healthy produce. In doing so, we are helping the local market, local traders and local communities to flourish.
- It’s working – our data shows that people participating in the scheme are eating more frequently (an additional whole meal a day), and their food supply is lasting several days more.
- Traders have seen an increase in their incomes (28%). Families say the system is more dignified, and healthier. It’s sustainable, and empowers communities, and increases resilience. We have scaled up the scheme, from reaching 12,000 per month to 40,560 now.