Millions of people, most of them little children, are in the middle of a devastating food crisis in drought-stricken East Africa. Many children, especially vulnerable to malnutrition and dehydration, have already died. 

Save the Children is already on the ground saving lives. They're rapidly providing food, water, medicine and crucial support to families who have lost their incomes. But they need our help and even small amounts can make a big difference.

$10 can help feed a child for 10 days

$25 can help feed a child for 25 days

$125 can help feed a child for 125 days

Please consider donating.  If we work together, even in amounts of $10, we can make a big difference. I don't think any of us want to live in a world where little babies are starving to death and where mothers have to live with the intolerable grief of burying their children because they had nothing to feed them. 

Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support our fundraising efforts and it goes directly to Save the Children. 

What is the current crisis situation in East Africa? A deadly combination of failed rains and rising food prices has left over 10 million people facing a devastating food crisis. Families have lost their incomes and food supplies. Millions of children are hungry, thirsty and desperate. They are in danger of becoming critically malnourished and, without help, many in the worst hit areas could die. Save the Children is already on the ground saving lives. They are rapidly providing food, water, medicine and crucial support to families who have lost their incomes. With your help we can stop this crisis becoming far worse. These children don’t have to die - but to save them we need your help now because they're funds are running out.

What has caused this crisis? For the second time in 12 months, expected rains (March, April, May) across the region have either completely or partially failed. There is a serious shortage of water for children and their families, leading to widespread devastation of farmland, failed harvests and livestock death. Families have lost their incomes and food supplies. Food, water and fuel prices have soared.

How many children could die if nothing is done? Over 9 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Millions of children are hungry, thirsty and desperate. They are in danger of becoming critically malnourished and, without help, many in the worst hit areas could die. Not having enough food has severe consequences which affects the child for the rest of his or her life. It significantly increases the likelihood of premature death, and those who do survive are at much greater risk from a variety of afflictions including heart disease, diabetes and kidney damage, and are far less able to withstand infection.

What is the impact on children and their families? Families are unable to cope: these people are used to coping with occasional droughts and dry seasons, but the successive droughts have pushed their resiliency to the limit. Families are no longer able to cope as their livestock die, they face a life-threatening lack of water, food prices have doubled and their income has disappeared. They will not be able to bounce-back from this crisis without help. Families throughout this region are struggling to support themselves – many are only eating one meal a day at most, and eating the cheapest food available – which is often not very nutritious. Without adequate food, they are weak and vulnerable to illnesses. Many people have resorted to drinking only highly sugared tea to keep themselves and their children going. Many families are dependent on livestock for both meat and milk and livestock have been dying in their thousands across the region. Children are most vulnerable: Children are always the most vulnerable in a food crisis – without enough to eat and the right nutritional balance, they are at high risk of malnutrition. Malnutrition is incredibly serious – it can cause stunting, impede mental and physical development, increase the risk of developing other illnesses and ultimately cause death. It remains one of the biggest killers of children under five around the world. In some parts of Somalia for example, 30% of children are malnourished – which is double the emergency threshold.

 

Thank you so much for visiting this page and for taking the time to help.

Kate