East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response

by Concern Worldwide US
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East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response
East Africa Hunger Crisis: Concern's Response

Project Report | Oct 11, 2023
A Lasting Emergency

By Wida Arzow Azizi | Development Coordinator, Concern Worldwide US

(Photo: Audrey Hernandez/Concern Worldwide)
(Photo: Audrey Hernandez/Concern Worldwide)

The Horn of Africa stands at the epicenter of a major global climate crisis and is grappling with the effects of one of its most extensive and acute droughts in history. Even as rains start to pour, recovery remains distant as we near the end of 2023. Across the region, Concern Worldwide continues to support vulnerable people whose lives have been affected by this generation-defining humanitarian disaster.  

By the close of May 2023, an alarming count of nearly 40 million individuals in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and South Sudan continued to battle severe food shortages, while the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) surged.The prevailing predicament in East Africa offers a bitter reality: rainfall doesn't equate to immediate relief. Some areas in the region have been inundated with excessive rain, spawning a different kind of catastrophe. The previously dry terrains of Ethiopia and Somalia couldn't soak up the sudden downpours, resulting in flash floods. This inundation led to homes and farms being destroyed as a result, and the flood conditions exacerbated the current global cholera outbreak, which has also been aided by lack of proper sanitation facilities. Whereas some of the countries have registered a good amount of rain, the level of food insecurity remains high due to the loss of livelihoods from the prolonged drought period. 

East Africa underwent five failed rainy seasons, culminating in the gravest drought in over 40 years. This drought, combined with soaring food and commodity prices and persistent regional conflicts has escalated humanitarian needs to unprecedented levels. Most of the region's population depends on agriculture and livestock for sustenance and their livelihoods, leaving millions without food to feed themselves and their families. The drought devastated livelihoods all across the region, compelling millions to abandon their residences and communities in search of food, water, and grazing land. A UN report from 2022 indicated that roughly 43,000 individuals, including an estimated 21,500 children below five years of age, died in Somalia due to the drought. 

To respond, our activities in the region include: 

  • Providing multi-purpose cash support for vulnerable people 
  • Supporting healthcare workers in the screening and treatment for severe acute malnutrition across 870 health centers  
  • The trucking of water, rehabilitation of hygiene facilities such as boreholes and latrines, promotion of best hygiene practices and the distribution of hygiene kits  
  • Distributing food, shelter materials, emergency livestock feed and non-food items such as blankets, sleeping mats, cooking items, jerry cans, buckets, soap, and detergent 
  • Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programming, disaster risk reduction, and climate resilience building interventions 

Addressing the profound issues of extreme poverty and global hunger is at the heart of Concern Worldwide's mission. We believe that our vision of a world without extreme poverty is possible, and we need as much help as we can get. Even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, it's essential to recognize that positive change and improvements can occur. Concern’s Youth Climate Ambassador, Dearbhla Richardson, had the opportunity to experience this herself during a trip to Kenya, where her biggest “takeaway” was the willingness of people to adapt and their resourcefulness. “We also met with some women who are having very successful harvests, using climate smart agriculture techniquesBecause of this new source of income, they can now manage to afford to send their children to school, and also have enough food for the family to eat,” said Richardson. 

Amidst ongoing conflicts and power struggles, governments in the region are limited in their ability to respond to emergencies and aid their citizens, making the role of NGOs like Concern even more crucial to uplifting these communities until they become able to lead sustainable lives on their own.Without global intervention, the number of individuals experiencing severe food shortages in the Horn of Africa will continue to grow. Concern is steadfast in our commitment to collaborate with local partners and communities to halt the deepening hunger crisis. However, our current resources are not enough to address the escalating needs. Time is of the essence if we are to save lives, and this remains a lasting emergency for tens of millions of people. 

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Jun 9, 2023
There Is No Time Left To Lose

By Wida Arzow Azizi | Development Coordinator, Concern Worldwide US

Feb 9, 2023
An Emergency at Its Breaking Point in East Africa

By Wida Arzow Azizi | Development Coordinator, Concern Worldwide US

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Organization Information

Concern Worldwide US

Location: New York, NY - USA
Website:
Facebook: Facebook Page
Twitter: @concern
Project Leader:
Arzow Azizi
New York , NY United States
$23,691 raised of $30,000 goal
 
248 donations
$6,309 to go
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