A catastrophic drought and conflict have left a record number of people – especially in the Horn of Africa – in dire need of aid. Among them, women and children are facing the brunt of this famine crisis.
This is a humanitarian catastrophe that has gripped Africa for many, many years. For these African communities, they do not know the meaning of being full.
As many as 14 million Africans across Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya are already on the verge of starvation, with half of them being children.
While rains are not failing, prices are rising. Even in the best case scenario where the rains will end the dry spells, it will take months for the people to recover.
Ethiopia is the third largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, and the ninth largest worldwide. Of the 2.5 million people in the country, one-third are refugees. More than 400,000 people in Ethiopia’s Tigray region are at an immediate risk of ‘starvation to death’.
As one of the world’s poorest countries, 250,000 Somalis are at risk of imminent starvation.
Since the start of 2022, more than half a million people have left their homes in search of food and water, with more than 7 million Somalis facing acute food insecurity. At the same time, the country is experiencing political instability and ongoing fighting. The long-lasting conflict, coupled with the adverse impacts of climate change, has made the country one of the world’s worst internal displacement crises.
Back in September 2021, Kenya declared a state of national disaster – nearly three million people were on the brink of starvation. Thousands of Kenyans who previously depended on livestock and cultivation of crops are now forced to move to find new pastures and new sources of income and food.
There are some three million displaced people in Sudan. For these people, they have lost their sources of income or access to food production, after fleeing their homes and lands. On-going violence has also affected the country adversely.
With this growing humanitarian crisis, we are reaching a point where we cannot afford for this amplifying crisis to be ignored. If the drought persists, as many as 20 million people will be suffering from acute hunger by the end of 2022 – based on warnings by the World Food Program. Emergency funding is needed to pull those living in famine back from the brink. At the same time, a long-term solution is crucial to create more sustainable agri-food systems.
It’s 2022 and having critical famine conditions in several countries is worrying. We have many different projects to ensure that our aid reaches the most dire communities in Africa.
This Eid ul-Adha, Global Ehsan Relief’s Qurban for Africa campaign aims to help alleviate the struggles of the African communities who are critically in need of relief. For these communities who are facing famine, fresh Qurban meat would make their Eid ul-Adha extremely special.
Beyond Qurban, our Global Emergency Response in Africa focuses on providing urgent relief to the African countries that are suffering. Learn more about how our Global Emergency Response project aids African countries in these trying times.
Your generosity will enable us to deliver life-saving food aid packs, medical care and essential support to families whose lives are destroyed by conflict and natural disasters.
