Hunger Crisis Looms in East Africa

04/09/2009

(Ottawa, ON) – As the world approaches the 25th anniversary of the 1984 East African famine, Canada’s leading aid agencies are warning of a new crisis looming in East Africa. The HUMANITARIAN COALITION says a perfect storm of crop failures, a multi-year lack of rain, the effects of climate change, conflicts and political turmoil will threaten some 20 million people with severe hunger.

 

“The rainy seasons successively have been poor. Then you have the other problems of post-election violence in Kenya, the war in Somalia that led to the displacement of people and the inability to plant crops. All of this increases food insecurity,” said Stephen Gwynne-Vaughan, Country Director of CARE’s Kenya office. “The resiliency of these people has just been stretched beyond its limits. They can’t take any more shocks.”

The members of the HUMANITARIAN COALITION – CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Québec and Save the Children Canada – have already launched programs throughout the region to support the vulnerable communities being affected.  Canadians wishing to support those programs are invited to donate through the HUMANITARIAN COALITION web site: http://www.humanitariancoalition.ca

Through the coordination of these top agencies, Canadian donations will be allocated where they will be most effective.

“This is the kind of crisis that demands we work together,” said Robert Fox, Executive Director of Oxfam Canada. “We are playing a critical role with the people on the frontline of this crisis, the people who are desperately doing everything they can to feed their families and protect their herds. We hope Canadians will support our efforts.”

With a combined presence in over 120 countries, the joint efforts by the members of the HUMANITARIAN COALITION provide a widespread and effective response to emergencies. In addition, the campaign has one call centre, one phone number and a joint website for online donations in order to make donating easy for Canadians. Public service announcements and web communications are coordinated to represent a single and unified voice.

To donate to THE HUMANITARIAN COALITION, call 1-800-464-9154, log onto humanitariancoalition.ca or send donations to THE HUMANITARIAN COALITION, P.O. Box 65035, Ottawa, ON, K2G 5Y3.

For more information please contact:

Kieran Green, Communications Coordinator, CARE Canada

613-228-5678 cell: 613-799-7562