East Africa Drought Emergency

6 July 2011

Y Care International today launches an emergency appeal to raise money for the ‘world's worst food security crisis'*.

Over 7 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and surrounding countries are facing starvation as the crisis grips the eastern Horn of Africa region – with children and young people facing unimaginable hardship.

The world’s largest refugee camp in northern Kenya, Dadaab, is now at four times its original capacity with around 360,000 refugees from surrounding countries. Those arriving are severely malnourished and dehydrated and in need of immediate assistance.

Two thirds of those arriving are children – a ten-fold increase from last year. Many have walked for over a month to get to the refugee camp through the scorching heat and reports of children dying on the journey are common.

Large-scale emergency assistance is urgently needed to save lives and treat acute malnutrition in the region. Without help, millions of people are in danger of starving.

Y Care International, the YMCA’s international relief and development agency, is working to support ACT Alliance to provide emergency assistance.

Rains usually fail once a decade, but droughts have become more frequent over recent years and many of the livestock on which so many rely for food and income have died. Escalating food prices have also meant that many families cannot afford to buy food.

Terry Waite, CBE, President of Y Care International said: "Many thousands of lives are in danger as a result of this terrible drought. It is vital that help is given as quickly as possible. Y Care International’s partners are among those best placed to help. So I urge everyone to do what they can to assist this major relief effort."

For more information about Y Care International’s East Africa Drought appeal go to www.ycareinternational.org or call 020 7549 3175.


Notes to editors:
• Y Care International is the international development and relief agency of the YMCA movement in the UK and Ireland, working in partnership with YMCAs across the developing world to help young people build alternatives to a future of poverty and disadvantage.

• As well as long-term development programmes, Y Care International undertakes relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation work when there is human emergency and natural disaster. Y Care International is well placed to respond to emergencies, as local YMCAs’ local knowledge and ability to mobilise quickly and effectively is invaluable in coordinating an emergency response.

• For more information please contact Zoe Wilson Young, Fundraising and Communications Director, on 020 7549 3176 or Sue Wheat, Communications Manager on 020 7549 3156

• *The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fewsnet) has declared this emergency the ‘world’s worst food security crisis’, stating that this year has been one of the driest since 1995 and malnutrition is above 20 per cent in the region, with more than 7 million people needing humanitarian assistance.

ENDS