World Vision UK launches East Africa Crisis appeal
Tens of thousands of children could starve to death unless the world acts now to stop famine spreading across East Africa, World Vision UK warns.
The international children’s charity is today launching a fundraising appeal as part of a global drive to raise $92.2 million (£75.8m) across the World Vision partnership. The East Africa Hunger Crisis appeal will help meet the needs of 2.2 million of the most vulnerable children and families in the region.
Money raised will enable World Vision to scale up its humanitarian assistance in South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. As well as threatened starvation, World Vision fears that desperate hunger is forcing families to migrate into conflict areas – putting millions of children at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse.
Christopher Hoffman, World Vision’s Regional Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Director for East Africa, said: “The hunger crisis in East Africa is unprecedented in its scope and size. With almost 23 million people, including more than 10 million children, in search of one daily meal, the humanitarian community and affected Governments are searching for immediate solutions to curb the urgent needs.
“While the need to address famine in South Sudan is urgent, more so is the immediate need to help those that are on the cusp of starvation throughout East Africa. Humanitarians are working fast to stop any further degradation of the current situation, where the possibility of large scale suffering and subsequent deaths is eminent without assistance.
“World Vision is responding to multiple needs in very complex situations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan – working tirelessly to address the needs of children in crisis.”
The hunger crisis across East Africa has left more than 22 million people in need of life-saving help. More than 3.5 million children under 5 years old are suffering from acute malnutrition. The emergency is being driven by a lethal cocktail of drought, conflict and political instability.
In famine-struck South Sudan almost 5 million people face severe food insecurity, with 100,000 threatened with starvation. Somalia is teetering on the brink of famine. Last week 110 people, most of them women and children, died from hunger in just 48 hours in the country’s south-western Bay region. Ethiopia and Kenya are also sliding into crisis, with millions of people experiencing major challenges finding food.