Drought recovery supported by SCIAF appeal

Families are being forced to leave their homes (Photo: SCIAF)

Thousands of people are suffering from the impact of one of the most devastating droughts in living memory. SCIAF's Emergency Appeal is helping relieve the impact

Seasonal rains have been absent for sometime, massively effecting supplies of food and water. Countless crops are failing and in turn vital livestock are dying, ripping away the livelihoods of thousands of families.

Levels of migration have risen dramatically. People are being left with no choice but to move on in search of basic needs such as food, water and shelter. The drought is dividing communities and leaving the most basic needs unmet.

We would like to thank everybody who has responded to the SCIAF Emergency Appeal to date for your fantastic displays of generosity. Your gifts have helped SCIAF to raise over £750,000. This phenomenal total has already started funding vital relief work and we're still seeing donations every day.

In January 2011, SCIAF began to provide emergency relief to the drought ravaged region of Borena in Ethiopia. This programme is now reaching over 10,000 households and includes:

Direct cash payments to the most vulnerable enabling them to buy food and other essential items
Cash for Work programmes are supporting the able-bodied to carry out work on wells and ponds. This helps maximise access to the remaining supplies and reduces the threat of future droughts.
Buying livestock unlikely to survive from farmers with the meat feeding the most vulnerable
Clearing selected bush to provide pasture land for the remaining livestock

Cash for Work schemes provide vital support (Photo: SCIAF)

In South Sudan, SCIAF is partnered with churches and ready to provide food, water, medicines and shelter to those affected by the drought. This forms part of a wider programme to assist people returning to the country following their recent independence.

SCIAF’s Head of International Programmes Lorraine Currie said:

“SCIAF would like to thank everyone who has generously donated money to help people caught up in the drought. These donations are helping to provide emergency aid which is saving lives.

“We are working tirelessly with our partners in Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan to get aid to those who need it most. This includes food, water, medicine, cash payments and working with local people to build or rehabilitate wells, ponds and pastureland so that they can maximise access to the resources they still have.

“The situation remains critical as more people become desperate to find food and water, and malnutrition, especially amongst the very young, increases. With the seasonal rains not due for several months the situation is unlikely to improve in the short term and we are extremely grateful for people’s ongoing support at this difficult time.”

If you would like to support the SCIAF Horn and East of Africa Emergency Appeal you can donate online now or by calling 0141 354 5555. Thank you for your continuing support.

SCIAF

Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund

Drought recovery supported by SCIAF appeal