How can we help the east Africa crisis? – Eco-Congregation Ireland

Climate change often seems remote or abstract. The drought in East Africa changes that completely.

The failure of adequate rainfall to have hit the region for a full year has plunged east Africa into humanitarian crisis. After two poor rainy seasons in 2011, drought in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya has left more than 11.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The UN has declared that Somalia is now in famine.

The causes are complex, but there is little doubt that climate change is a major factor.

• Over 1,000 Somalis are arriving into Ethiopia and Kenya every day;

• Malnutrition rates among Somali children arriving into Ethiopia or Kenya are as high as 47 per cent;

• Communities in Ethiopia have reported that 80 per cent of animals have died;

• Half of the 13 million affected people are children.

Trócaire and Christian Aid are among the aid agencies responding to the current crisis.

Trócaire is funding drought response projects in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, bringing food and water to affected communities. It is also purchasing malnourished animals before they die and redistributing them to areas that still have sufficient grazing. When the next rains arrive in the autumn, it will help those families buy back the animals and re-establish their herds.

Trócaire has been working with these communities for almost 40 years. Its ongoing livelihoods programmes prevented the people there from falling into crisis over recent decades. Such is the severity of the current drought, however, that Trócaire has launched an emergency appeal for the people of east Africa.

Christian Aid has also responded to the east Africa food crisis by launching an emergency appeal to help people affected across the region.

Christian Aid staff in the region are reporting cases of malnutrition in children and adults, and people begging for water on the side of the road. Even animals which are normally resistant to drought, such as camels, donkeys and goats, are suffering. Due to the lack of water, some schools and hospitals have been forced to close and people are travelling for miles to collect water to drink.

Christian Aid’s partners in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are closely monitoring the situation and are working in emergency relief camps and with affected communities.

To find out how you can help, see http://www.trocaire.org/whatwedo/emergencies/east-africa-drought and www.christianaid.ie/emergencies