East African Famine Appeal

Famine declared in new Somalia region

6 September 2011

Three-quarters of a million people are facing death by starvation in Somalia, the UN said, as it reported that famine had spread to a sixth southern region of the beleaguered Horn of Africa country.

Famine was first declared in the southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions of southern Somalia in July.  It later spread to three further areas, including into the Somali capital Mogadishu and the Afgoye corridor, the world's largest camp for displaced people.

The UN said it has now spread to the Bay area, where malnutrition rates are 58 per cent - nearly four times the World Health Organisation's emergency threshold.

"Tens of thousands of people have already died, over half of whom are children," according to a statement from the United Nation's food security analysis team for Somalia.  "In total, 4 million people are in crisis in Somalia, with 750,000 people at risk of death in the coming four months in the absence of adequate response."

The Bay area, which includes the major town of Baidoa, is a stronghold of hardline Islamist Al Shabab insurgents who have imposed severe restrictions on aid into the areas they control.

"Assuming current levels of response continue, famine is expected to spread further over the coming four months," the UN said.

The 750,000 people in famine-affected areas at risk of death is a 66 per cent increase from when famine was first declared in July, when 450,000 were at risk.

Al-Qaeda affiliated Al Shabab fighters pulled out of positions in Mogadishu last month, but still control much of southern Somalia, the worst-hit region by famine and the extreme drought.

Famine implies that at least 20 per cent of households face extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition in over 30 per cent of people, and two deaths per 10,000 people every day, according to UN definition.  Some 12.4 million people in the Horn of Africa, including parts of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda, are affected by the worst drought in decades in the region and are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN.

(courtesy of abc.net.au)

Support from Australian Primary Principals Association's President, Norm Hart.

15 August 2011

"I cannot imagine destitution, hopelessness and misery on the scale they are being suffered by millions of children and their families in Eastern Africa at this time. I am sure students in our schools also feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the disaster when they become aware of it. 

It is difficult to imagine that the actions of a single child in Australia could make a difference. SchoolAid doesn't just imagine that the actions of individual students make a difference. SchoolAid realises the dream. Through their EAST AFRICAN FAMINE APPEAL SchoolAid will deliver essential support to children in Eastern Africa. 

However, that is not all SchoolAid achieves. By working with teachers and students in schools across Australia School Aid helps us recognise that one human being reaching out to help another always uplifts our collective humanity. 

Australian students benefit from what Sean Gordon, SchoolAid's Founder calls, "Our In-reach Program". It develops empathy and builds respect for others and highlights the connectedness of people everywhere.

I recommend SchoolAid's "East African Famine Appeal" to every principal interested in building character and world understanding in their students by providing them with a meaningful philanthropic experience."

Famine spread to three new regions of Somalia, including the capital Mogadishu, as a US senator warned the catastrophe could be worse than the Ethiopian famine that claimed nearly 1 million lives in the 1980s

5 August 2011

The new famine areas designated by the UN include two sites where hundreds of thousands of Somalis have fled in search of food.

In the war-torn capital Mogadishu, up to 100,000 Somalis have fled from the drought, with up to 1,000 people arriving at the camp every day, according to the UN refugee agency.

"Despite increased attention in recent weeks, the current humanitarian response remains inadequate, due in part to ongoing access restrictions and difficulties in scaling-up emergency assistance programs, as well as funding gaps," the UN unit said in a statement. As a result, famine is expected to spread across all regions of the south in the coming four to six weeks."

The UN statement said recent torrential rains around the capital had added to the misery of those with basic shelter and already weakened by hunger.

Famine implies at least 20 per cent of households face extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition in more 30 per cent of people, and two deaths per 10,000 people every day, according to UN definition.

Most of the areas declared to be in famine are controlled by Al-Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab rebels, who have blocked several key aid agencies from delivering aid.

Deaths among the entire population had exceeded the famine threshold of two per 10,000 people daily in the Balaad and Adale regions, while deaths of children under five had reached 13 per 10,000 people every day among people fleeing the famine area.

(Courtesy of ABC News)

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd visited southern Somalia on 24 July, and he said:

4 August 2011

"The reason we are here today is very simple, that is to reinforce the global appeal to the governments and the peoples of the world to act now to deal with this food crisis, this famine, in the Horn of Africa.

If we act together now, we as the world community can save hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of lives. If we fail to act now, then we are going to stand by and see hundreds of thousands of people die, mostly children.

This has been, I think, legitimately described as the children's famine.

It is also, an avoidable catastrophe if we act now.

We in Australia are putting our shoulder to the wheel, we are now one of the world's top five funders of this operation and we stand ready to do more.

The challenge we have now, is to act as an international community.

This food crisis, this famine in Africa, is a direct appeal from the children of Africa to the conscience of the world. It is no more complex than that.

And if this appeal does not move the hearts of the world, I do not know what does."

A devastatingly traumatic situation...

3 August 2011

The baby weighs just 3.4kg - a third of what he should - and was hours from death when his mother took him to a field hospital of the International Rescue Committee in Dadaab, Kenya.  His anguished eyes, hollow cheeks and fragile limbs show just how severe the famine in East Africa is becoming.

Mihag is severely malnourished. Nurses at the camp say they never tell the mothers that their babies might not make it. "We try to give them hope," one said. Unbearable sadness: Asiah Dagane cradles Mihag at the field hospital in Dadaab, Kenya. "In my mind, I'm not well. My baby is sick. In my head, I am also sick," she said. Picture: AP Mihag is just one of 800,000 children officials warn could die across the region. Many remain far from aid and medical care in the refugee amps in Kenya and Ethiopia.

An estimated 3.7 million people in Somalia - around a third of the population - are on the brink of starvation and millions more in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda have been struck by the worst drought in the region in 60 years. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Somalia into neighbouring Kenya, but thousands have gone in search of aid in the Somali capital of Mogadishu. "Over the past month, UNHCR figures show that nearly 40,000 Somalis displaced by drought and famine have converged on Mogadishu in search of food, water, shelter and other assistance," said Vivian Tan, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.  "A further 30,000 have arrived at settlements around Mogadishu.  In total, it is estimated that Mogadishu has received up to 100,000 internally displaced people over the last two months. The daily numbers are still around 1000 in July," added the spokeswoman. With relief supplies entering the country insufficient to cope with needs, the jostle for food "has caused serious crowd crushes and even some looting". "As a result, some of the weakest and most vulnerable are left with nothing, despite the best efforts of agencies and charities," said the UNHCR.