A woman surveys dry land in Kenya. © CAREDespite humanitarian mobilisation and emergency relief, the situation in the Horn of Africa remains dire. Drought, conflict and poverty have left more than ten million people in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The world's most severe food crisis is getting worse, increasing the daily risks for millions of already vulnerable people.
Increasing drought has aggravated an already precarious situation for many chronically food insecure households, with some pastoral zones experiencing the driest period in 60 years. The effects of climate change, combined with high local cereal prices, increasing livestock mortality and conflict have furthermore exacerbated the impacts of the drought.
The food crisis is causing massive displacement in Somalia. A quarter of Somalia's 7.5 million population is now either internally displaced or living outside the country as refugees. 80 percent of refugees arriving in neighbouring Kenya are women and children, who travel without male company, money, food or clothing and who are especially vulnerable to dangers, such as rape, abduction and even death.
As it is often the case, women are disproportionally affected by the current drought. In many communities, women are the last ones to eat when food is limited, after children and men. Women also usually shoulder the largest burden in collecting drinking water and now spend hours doing so.
Sexual violence has quadrupled
In the northern Kenya refugee camps of Dadaab, the largest in the world, the situation is reaching breaking point. More than 377,000 refugees have sought shelter and approximately 1,800 refugees arrive per day, putting severe pressure on already limited resources in overcrowded camps. Sexual violence against women has increased dramatically, with 358 incidents from January until June 2011, a fourfold increase from the same period in 2010. The refugees are also facing increased tensions from local populations who are also in need of assistance. CARE is distributing food from the World Food Programme (WFP) to the refugees in Dadaab; however, without additional funding, the food aid pipeline for refugees will run dry by September.
CARE has launched an emergency appeal for £16 million to provide food, water, and emergency relief in the eastern Horn of Africa. We are scaling up our response to reach almost 2 million people affected by the emergency, through meeting their most urgent needs.
CARE's emergency response in the Horn of Africa includes assistance for commercial and slaughter de-stocking of animals; therapeutic and supplementary feeding;cash transfers to households affected with children suffering from severe malnutrition; provision of water through water tankering; distribution of water treatment supplies; training on safe hygiene and supporting livelihoods through cash-for-work programs. In the refugee camps of Dadaab, CARE is the primary distributor of food, water and primary education for the more than 377,000 refugees.
CARE's response to the food insecurity in the Horn of Africa:
Ethiopia
Beneficiaries reached to date: 241,587
CARE Ethiopia is currently responding to the drought and food insecurity emergency in the regions of Afar and Oromia (Borena, East and West Hararghe zones), which are parts of the most affected areas in the country. The on-going humanitarian interventions focus on food assistance, nutrition, water and sanitation interventions such as water point rehabilitation, distribution of water treatment chemicals and hygiene promotion. Since livestock are a crucial livelihoods asset for pastoralist communities, CARE Ethiopia is also implementing livestock intervention comprising of slaughter destocking, animal feed and support to zonal animal health authorities.
CARE Ethiopia is scaling up its emergency response to address the critical needs of 1,092, 475 people. Its on-going response has already impacted the lives of more than 241,000 people through both short-term emergency relief and long-term livelihood strategies. CARE Ethiopia is also actively preparing for floods that are very likely to affect the Northern part of the country later this year.
Somalia (Puntland and Somaliland)
Beneficiaries reached to date: 164,000
CARE has been responding to the current drought conditions and high cereal prices in the northern regions of Puntland and Somaliland by rehabilitating water harvesting structures such as water pans, shallow wells; supporting livelihoods by implementing cash-for-work programs and cash relief to most vulnerable households in the affected areas. To date, CARE has assisted 164,000 people and plans to scale up its interventions to address water and sanitation, support livelihoods, and aide internally displaced populations. CARE is also preparing for the coming dry season
Despite rebel Somali fighters reopening access to humanitarian aid, agencies still have limited access and capacity to deliver lifesaving assistance in the worst-affected areas of Somalia—i.e. the south-central region where most of the Somalis in need are concentrated—because of insecurity and stringent donor conditions. As part of the larger humanitarian community in Somalia, CARE has been urging major donors as well as various local authorities to facilitate access to south-central Somalia to enable us to provide assistance where it's needed most.
Kenya
Beneficiaries reached to date: 544,000
In addition to our work serving the 377,000 residents in the Dadaab camps, CARE plans to scale up its response to assist an additional 200,000 people in the north-eastern parts of the country. In this hard-hit region, CARE Kenya has been addressing drought conditions with emphasis on addressing long-term vulnerabilities and strengthening community resilience. The Country Office is emphasizing disaster risk management measures owned by the local communities. CARE Kenya supports district veterinary department teams to vaccinate animals against the expected increase in diseases and need for treatment; this is in case of disease outbreaks which may occur as a result of animals congregating at the remaining water sources. CARE Kenya is also responding through maintenance, protection and development of water resources; encouraging improved hygiene practices and infrastructure; livelihood protection and support through diversifying sources of income; cash transfer and other cash/market interventions; disaster risk reduction (DRR), mainly looking at cross border peace committees (in Kenya and Ethiopia) in Mandera East through water committees and water supervisors; and grazing management by council of elders.
CARE has partnered with a financial institution and both public and private abattoirs to increase livestock sales from the pastoral community, reducing the number of animals relying on limited pasture and enhancing available cash for households.
Please donate to our emergency response fund
Longer term work
In addition to our immediate response in the face of this current food crisis CARE International emphasises the need to tackle the long-term, underlying causes of poverty. We have been present in the region for over 25 years and are helping families to break the cycle of hunger and to adapt to the changing climate and recurring droughts.
Our ongoing work in the region includes:
- Maintenance, protection and development of water points and wells.
- Working with women in Mandera, Kenya to revive traditional food preservation techniques.
- Vaccination of animals to prevent diseases breaking out as they congregate at remaining water points.
- Helping families have more consistent sources of income by supporting them in diversifying their work.
Read more stories from the East Africa Food Crisis:
Staff blog: Sabine Wilke, Emergency Media Officer in Dadaab - 12 August
Video: East Africa Crisis - CARE's response - 12 August
Slideshow: Dadaab refugee camp - 12 August
Somalia to Dadaab: a journey filled with danger - 10 August
Somalia: famine declared in three additional regions of South-Central - 5 August
Ethiopia: in a drought prevention pays - 26 July 2011
Staff Blog: Confusion and waiting in Dadaab, Kenya - 18 July 2011
Staff Blog: "The need for food assistance is increasing at alarming rate" - 16 July 2011
Urgency grows in the Horn of Africa - 15 July 2011
Slideshow: More pictures from the East Africa Food Crisis - 14 July 2011
Staff Blog: Horn of Africa Food Crisis - Dadaab refugee camp - 8 July 2011
Slideshow: East Africa Food Crisis - 8 July 2011
Horn of Africa: The most severe food crisis in the world - 1 July 2011
Reviving traditions to survice drought in Kenya - 3 June 2011
Ethiopia food shortage: The worst is yet to come - 25 May 2011
Press releases from the East Africa food Crisis:
Saving cattle can save lives in drought-stricken Africa - 29 July 2011
DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal reaches £30 million - 25 July 2011
DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal reaches £27 million - 22 July 2011
DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal reaches £20 million - 18 July 2011
DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal reaches £18 million - 18 July 2011
Violence against women doubles in giant East Africa refugee camp - 17 July 2011
DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal reaches £15 million - 14 July 2011
DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal reaches £13 million - 13 July 2011
DEC agencies prepare to scale up work in Somalia - 13 July 2011
Reported cases of sexual violence have quadrupled among refugees - 12 July 2011
Horn of Africa food crisis: CARE launches £16 million appeal - 11 July 2011
UK donations for East Africa Crisis Appeal reach £8 million - 10 July 2011
DEC aims to help prevent East Africa Crisis becoming a catastrophe - 10 July 2011
DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal reaches £6 million - 9 July 2011
Aid delivered in East Africa as DEC Appeals broadcast in UK - 8 July 2011
Africa’s newest country in grip of food crisis - 8 July 2011
DEC announces East Africa Crisis Appeal - 7 July 2011
Drought in Kenya: “Situation of refugees is grave” - 4 July 2011
Horn of Africa: CARE calls for more attention to severe food insecurity - 19 May 2011
