A young man selling water to a family outside Saryaralee village, southern Somalia
Hunger Crisis in East Africa
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Could provide a month's food supplies to a household of six people
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN EAST AFRICA?
Children living in the region are on the brink of one of worst famines in 40 years. If we act now, together we can save millions of children’s futures.
Three failed rainy seasons in a row have killed crops and livestock families rely on – and a fourth is expected.
Climate changes, combined with locust infestations and the impacts of Covid-19 and local conflict have created a perfect storm.
Children’s lives are at risk.
- In Somalia, 70% of families don't have enough food to eat and over 245k people have left their homes to find water and food
- Water supplies have dried up in Kenya
- In the Somali region of Ethiopia, 85% of livestock have perished.
These facts are shocking and can feel overwhelming.
But we can avert huge loss of life if we act now.
What are we doing to help children in East Africa?
We've been working across East Africa for many years. We run longer-term programmes as well as short-term disaster response, and work together with local partners, governments and communities.
Right now we're;
- Providing cash and emergency food to families
- Trucking water to affected families and camps for the displaced
- Supporting farmers with seeds, tools and livestock feed
- Giving safe shelter and emergency kits to fleeing families
- Creating clinics for healthcare and malnutrition treatment
How we helped Mohamed*
Photo credit: Sacha Myers / Save the Children
Mohamed*, seven months old, and his family have been hit by successive droughts in their village in Puntland, Somalia.
They tried to adapt, but the severity and frequency of climate shocks is making it almost impossible for them to cope.
Mohamed’s mum, Zainab* owns a shop in their village, but drought drove customers away. The loss of income meant it was difficult to buy clean water and regular meals. Zainab was also forced to withdraw her children from school as she couldn’t afford the fees.
Mohamed became malnourished and was admitted to a treatment centre for 10 days. He’s now at home with his family, feeling much brighter, and will continue getting treatment at a local health facility.
With the right support there are endless possibilities for children like Mohamed.
Do you agree?
Our Emergency Fund
The Emergency Fund is truly the best and most efficient way to help children in crisis.
This special reserve of money allows us to coordinate a humanitarian response so that in the event of an emergency - like the hunger crisis in East Africa - we're able to act quickly and save countless lives.
The Fund helped us respond to crises in 54 countries last year, including the global hunger crisis – helping 7 million adults and 10 million children.
Any support you can give will make a real difference to children.
Donate now to our Emergency Fund
Understanding the issue
What is food insecurity?
The term food insecurity is used to describe the situation of people who do not have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.
Around 5.5 million children are expected to be acutely malnourished in Ethiopia, Kenya & Somalia in 2022, including more than 1.6 million severely acutely malnourished.
16.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistanc
How does climate change affect children specifically?
As the climate crisis makes extreme weather more unpredictable and stronger, including more frequent and more severe droughts and flooding, children will likely suffer the most.
Families' livestock and crops can die, leaving them without an income and children without enough to eat and at risk of acute malnutrition - a life-threatening condition requiring urgent treatment. Malnourished children are far more vulnerable to diseases and even when treated successfully, severe acute malnutrition can prevent a child from developing well, physically and mentally. It remains one of the biggest killers of children under five around the world.
Both droughts and floods can also force families from their homes whether in search of food, water or an income. This can result in children dropping out of school, denying them of a future. Whilst on the move, children can also become separated from their families, leaving them with no-one to turn to and vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. It can also leave families without access to healthcare or shelter to protect them, leaving them exposed to waterborne diseases.
Find out more about the climate crisis
It is never to late to try and save another human life
Right now we're;
- Delivering cash grants and trucking water to families hit hardest by drought
- Training health volunteers to detect child malnutrition in young children, so they can support families in areas with high rates
- Vaccinating livestock to help prevent the spread of disease and protect livelihoods.
Right now we're;
- Providing emergency water supplies and building water stations for families in camps
- Giving cash to families so they can buy food and support their children how they choose
- Running health facilities and treating children who are malnourished
- Supporting education so that children don’t miss out on learning.
Right now, we're;
- training community members so they can diversify their income-sources, helping them to earn a sustainable living in case of future shocks,
- helping local families make the most of their natural resources,
- building and repairing boreholes and health systems, so families are more resilient during extended periods of drought,
- creating community-based disaster-management committees, who can develop their own plans and strategies to adapt to extreme weather according to their local needs
A children's emergency
Children are always most vulnerable in a food crisis. Families are forced to flee their homes whether in search of food, water, or an income. This can result in children dropping out of school, denying them of a future.
Find out more about the climate crisis
More ways to get involved
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