Hunger Crisis in East Africa

7.6 MILLION PEOPLE have been reached with food aid and humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan

SITUATION UPDATE

Since May 2017, World Vision has been responding to an immense crisis in East Africa characterized by violence, natural disasters, disease, and displacement. With the help of generous donors like you, we have provided food; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); livelihood support; education; relief items; and protection interventions.

As of December 2018, nearly 30 million people in East Africa are in need of humanitarian assistance— more than half of them children. Drought and conflict are the largest drivers of displacement, leaving children and their families reliant on aid.

Children are especially vulnerable under these circumstances, as their fragile bodies and minds are forced to endure hardships that no child should have to experience. To care for them, we raised awareness among adults about key child protection issues and set up spaces where children can play and feel secure. For example, in December 2018, 10 Child-Friendly Spaces in Somalia provided a safe haven for 923 children.

Since education for many children is disrupted by crises, we want to give them access to a learning environment. For example, our program in South Sudan is reintegrating children previously in armed conflict into formal education. In Rwanda, a program in refugee camps helped provide at least 27,000 refugees with education.

An estimated 15 million people across East Africa are at risk of not having enough food due to climatic conditions that led to poor harvests. In response, we screened children for malnutrition and other diseases, taught parents about proper nutrition, and provided healthcare services. For example, more than 2,000 children in Ethiopia benefited from a feeding program in December 2018 aimed at restoring the health of malnourished children.

Despite these achievements, this region continues to grapple with ongoing conflict, natural disasters, and the continual arrival of refugees in displacement camps.

Thank you for enabling us to care for millions of people in East Africa during their time of greatest need.

Response Achievements (Life of project figures)

• 587,544 people reached with nutrition assistance
• 1,203,770 people reached with water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions
• 330,889 people reached with protection services
• 202,020 people reached with education
• 432,575 people reached with shelter and other nonfood essentials
• 2,060,831 people reached with food security and livelihood assistance
• 1,026,773 people reached with food distributions
• 1,761,804 people reached with health assistance