Help SCIAF save lives in the Horn and East of Africa

SCIAF has expanded its emergency response to relieve the suffering of thousands of people caught in the drought that is devastating the Horn and East of Africa.

Two year old Dhoah Thoan is fed in Akobo, South Sudan (Photo: Reuters/Mohamed Dahir, courtesty Trust.org - Alertnet)

Around ten million people across the region are being hit by the worst drought in 60 years as consecutive seasonal rains have failed, leading to major shortages in food and water, crop failure and the widespread death of livestock. High levels of malnutrition are reported amongst children and hundreds of thousands of people are moving away from their homes in search of food, water and shelter.

Donations to SCIAF’s emergency appeal have been sent in from generous supporters across Scotland, including £100,000 from the Scottish Government.

SCIAF started providing emergency relief in January in the drought-stricken Borena region of southern Ethiopia. This programme has now been extended to cover 10,000 households and includes:

· Direct cash payments to the very poor and elderly so they can buy food and other essential items

· Cash-for-Work programmes for the able-bodied to build and repair wells and ponds to maximise access to the remaining water supplies and reduce vulnerability against future droughts

· Buying livestock unlikely to survive from poor farmers with the meat used to feed the most vulnerable, and

· Clearing selected bush land to provide pasture land for the dwindling livestock which many families depend upon.

SCIAF has also extended its emergency relief work into Turkana in northern Kenya where it is helping to provide water, food and medicine to 5,400 families, 6,500 nursery children and 10,000 children under five years old.

In South Sudan, SCIAF and its Church partners are ready to provide food, water, medicines and temporary shelters to those affected by the drought as part of its wider programme to assist people now returning to this newly independent country.

The SCIAF response has begun in areas like Borena (Photo: SCIAF)

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.”

You can donate to our Horn and East of Africa Emergency Appeal now or by calling 0141 354 5555

*CAFOD, SCIAF and Trócaire (CST) represent the official relief and development agencies of the Catholic Church in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. In Ethiopia, the three agencies work in collaboration on a single programme

SCIAF

Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund

Help SCIAF save lives in the Horn and East of Africa