A deadly combination of drought, on-going conflict and escalating food prices has placed over 13.3 million people in need of life-saving aid across Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti – an area known as the Horn of Africa. Millions of children under five are acutely malnourished and wasting away.
This is the most severe humanitarian crisis in the world today. It is more than a food crisis – it is a crisis for child survival.
Driven by hunger and insecurity, thousands of families are crossing the border from Somalia to Kenya, the site of the largest refugee camp in the world, but many children are not surviving the two-to-three week journey.
Two emergencies are developing: one in overcrowded camps and another in drought and conflict-affected villages. Urgent action is needed to save and protect lives. In addition to a lack of food and water, malnourished children are extremely susceptible to killer diseases (including measles, malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia) and a host of child protection issues.
Donate now to help UNICEF provide life-saving supplies.
In August 2011, the UN declared a famine in six regions in southern Somalia, officially indicating that malnutrition and child mortality rates were at emergency levels. UNICEF and partners rapidly scaled up an emergency response and by February 2012, famine had been beaten in every region.
“Thanks to the strong support from donors around the world, thousands of children’s lives have been saved,” said UNICEF Representative in Somalia Sikander Khan.
UNICEF’s response
UNICEF and its partners played a key role in the emergency response. As a leading supplier of therapeutic food in the Horn of Africa, UNICEF is supporting the rehabilitation of moderately and severely malnourished children. Nearly ten thousand metric tonnes of supplies have been delivered to the region. Around one million children have been given nutritional help, including 126,131 who were severely malnourished.
Download our Crisis in the Horn of Africa - Three month update for more information on how your donations support critical nutrition, health, water, sanitation and hygiene, education and child protection services for children and families.
"UNICEF is using every means possible to reach every child,” said Elhadj As Sy, Regional Director for UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa. “There simply can be no compromise on the objective to keep children and their families alive.
Every life must count and we cannot afford to lose more lives to the crisis.”
Help us in providing life-saving aid to children caught in this emergency by donating online or calling 1 800 567-4483.
