Thirteen million people in dire need of life saving

The Horn of Africa Drought and Hunger Crisis is currently the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The numbers of affected populations continues to rise and spread across other countries of East Africa, even as experts warn that this episode of the drought is likely to last until February 2012.

In February, when it was clear that Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia were on the brink of a food crisis, World Vision declared the situation a Category III emergency for the Horn of Africa. At the time, 6 million people were in urgent need of food aid.

At the end of World Vision’s first 90-day-response that ended in June it became clear that the situation was worsening, and the number of people in dire need of life saving assistance had, officially, soared to over 10 million people. Barely a month the number is now said to be in the range of 12 million.

On July 15, 2011, World Vision re-declared a clustered Category III Emergency with a Global Response for the affected countries in the Horn of Africa, including Tanzania with an estimated $100 million funding request.

Scaling up World Vision’s response

In Somalia, World Vision is operational in Somaliland and Puntland, but not in the Al Shabaab controlled area of South Central Somalia. Last year, Al Shabaab, expelled World Vision from South Central Somalia, accusing World Vision of proselytism. Bakool and Shabelle areas of South Central Somalia have been the worst hit, resulting in the UN declaring famine in those areas. Despite pronouncements by Al Shabaab that aid agencies should go back to South Central Somalia, World Vision and other key agencies still do not have access to those areas.

World Vision continues to respond across grossly affected parts of northern Kenya, southern Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Puntland and Somaliland in Somalia. World Vision is cautiously exploring options of reaching the affected people in South Central Somalia.

To meet the growing need and save lives across the region, World Vision has launched a $100 million appeal for the affected countries. The clustered Category III emergency with a Global Response is expected to facilitate greater partnership engagement and ramp up response coordination.

Overview of the crisis

2010/11 is on record as being the driest or second driest year since 1950/51 in 11 of the 15 pastoral analyzed zones. Nearly 13 million people in the Horn are now in dire need of food aid and the number could be greater, given assessments in other neighboring countries. Countries most affected are Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania. Countries being closely monitored include The Republic of South Sudan, Uganda, and Burundi.

World Vision’s services

World Vision is distributing supplementary foods, providing medicine(s) for people, providing drugs for livestock, providing seeds and root tubers for planting, dealing with water trucking (to communities and schools) and de-silting shallow wells, and nutrition.

For enquiries about our ‘Horn of Africa’ fundraising and Gifts in Kind campaign, kindly send an email to Stanley Maphosa, Leader of Humanitarian Emergency Affairs for World Vision South Africa, Email: [email protected], or call Thabang Mpotoane, Manager: Donor Relations on 0861-101-888.