Generous donations from the fantastic Scottish public are helping to save the lives of thousands of people hit by East Africa’s worst drought in 60 years.

SCIAF has received over £1million in total for its emergency work in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan with donations coming in from all over Scotland.

Lorraine Currie, SCIAF’s Head of International Programmes said:

“SCIAF is extremely grateful for the response we have had in Glasgow to our Horn and East Africa Emergency Appeal. This money is helping us to save lives and support people through this very difficult period.”

The current drought has been building for some time. The failure of consecutive rainy seasons has only served to worsen the issue with a staggering thirteen million people affected across the region.

As a result of this lack of rain, the region has seen shortages in food and water, failure of crops and increasing numbers of livestock dying. There are reports of high levels of malnutrition in children and hundreds of thousands have had to move their homes to fulfil their basic needs such as food, water and shelter.

SCIAF's Response

Mamo Ali has received support from SCIAF as his cattle have been devastated by the drought (Photo: SCIAF)

Working with local partners on the ground across the affected countries SCIAF is providing:

· Food and cash transfers to the most vulnerable

· Clean water and hygiene support (water filters, soap, storage tanks)

· Cash-for-work programmes to help strengthen the resilience of local communities through pond and well rehabilitation and bush clearance to expose pasture for cattle

· Buying livestock unlikely to survive to provide farmers and their families with an income and meat for the most vulnerable

· Emergency livestock feeding to help families retain small numbers of cattle to aid future recovery.

· Drought resistant seeds for planting.

In the longer term SCIAF will also help farmers to replace some of the livestock that have died during the drought. This will make an enormous difference to largely pastoral communities.

Mamo Ali lives in Borena, Ethiopia and is 77 years old. He told SCIAF:

“We’re glad SCIAF is supporting us. We have lost most of our livestock and the remaining ones will die soon. Now we are fear for our lives. The land has no grass, it is barren.

“I used to have 30 cattle but now have just two. They are in the emergency feeding cetre and another one has just been bought in the destocking centre. I have received Birr 800 (£29.70) today. With the money I will buy grain for my family. I have a large family and we are surviving by the means of God. I have brought the cattle here as a last option as we have absolutely nothing left.

“This programme is helping us because if it had not been here, we would not now be here.

“You have seen the scale of the problem: we have nothing, so please do not forget us.”

Lorraine Currie continued:

“People are extremely relieved to be receiving help and many have said they would already be dead if it had not arrived. The work of SCIAF and its partners, is focused on not only helping people to meet their immediate needs but also building up the resilience of communities for the future.

“Unfortunately the situation is unlikely to improve in the short term but we will continue to work with vulnerable communities for as long as it takes. This would not be possible without the fantastic support we are receiving from across Scotland.”

Thank you to everybody who has given whatever they could to this appeal.

You can still make a difference. Please donate to our Horn & East of Africa Emergency Appeal online or by calling 0141 354 5555.