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| | Home > Emergency Response in Africa Drought, Disease Threaten Africa
March 2006
Africa is headed toward a catastrophic famine not seen since the mid-1980s, when famine devastated more than 20 countries and killed at least a million people in Ethiopia alone.
Right now, some 14 million people are hungry in these five East African countries — Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi. In Kenya, for example, teachers report students are starving. This eastern region is where World Vision is focusing its response. Read more ...
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Monthe Scolatica, 35, talks about the the drought's effects upon her family. ... "They are too young to be hungry," she says. | | |
Take Action
- Provide emergency food aid to Africa
- Support Food Aid Funding
- Pray for sustained rain to fall in drought-devastated East Africa's Horn region; pray for World Vision workers in the region who are desperately seeking to address the short- and long-term needs of the impoverished and hungry effectively.
Read More ...
Serious Food Shortages
Six additional countries are also at risk due to ongoing food crisis. More than a million people in Niger, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Malawi and Zimbabwe are also hungry. In Sudan, millions are in desperate need of food despite an improved harvest this year.
Lesser numbers of people are also hungry due to the food crisis In 10 additional countries in West and Southern Africa. World Vision has been working in each of these countries on an ongoing basis.
A Minor Weather Change "Could Push Millions Over the Edge"
Although the world has yet to see the horrific scenes witnessed in Ethiopia in 1984, "It would [just] take — say, a late rain, to push millions over the edge," says World Vision's U.S. Africa Director, David Scheiman.
"A lot of people are malnourished and weak. They have already lost or sold their animals. They don't have a coping mechanism."
Multiple Factors To Blame
Many factors are to blame for the food shortfall, including drought, war, poor governance and the debilitating effects of HIV and AIDS.
Though not all of these factors are evident in each country, each country is in serious need.
Swaziland exemplifies the serious effects of AIDS and drought; it also illustrates the hope engendered by the multi-pronged interventions World Vision implements across Africa.
Funds Needed To Expand Programs
World Vision has effective short- and long-term strategies operating in each affected country.
But it hopes to raise an initial $5 million from private donors to help leverage a minimum of $50 million in matching grants from the U.S. government and the United Nations and expand its work for the starving continent.
In the future, more funding will be required to fund agricultural recovery efforts that offer long-term improvements, efforts that are bringing renewed hope to countries like Malawi and Niger.
No "Extreme Images"
One obstacle to raising funds, however, is a lack of media interest.
"The press is not engaged because as yet there are no images of extreme starvation. But if we don't deal with it now, [that] could happen," says Sheiman.
It would be shameful to wait to see images of starving children stalked by vultures before taking action, he adds.
"I haven't seen things this bad since I started working here 11 years ago."
"There is a continent — Africa — being consumed by flames. When the history books are written, our age will be remembered for three things: the war on terror, the digital revolution and what we did — or did not do — to put the fire out in Africa."—Bono, lead singer for the Irish rock band, U2
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