Member updates from East Africa

24/08/2011

Ottawa, ON (August 24, 2011) - Canada’s leading humanitarian organizations and members of the HUMANITARIAN COALITION are working in East Africa and are providing urgently needed relief to the most vulnerable people affected by this crisis, including women, children and the elderly.

HUMANITARIAN COALITION members have raised over $7.7 million from the Canadian public for relief efforts.  A further $8.5 million has been allocated to three members (CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada and Plan Canada) from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

The humanitarian needs in East Africa are huge and food security conditions continue to worsen in many areas. The United Nations has identified that the response to this crisis will require $1.4 billion over the coming months.  The response from Canada and the world must continue to be generous.

In response to the crisis, here are just a few examples of what HUMANITARIAN COALITION members have done so far with the funds raised:

  • CARE is reaching 1 million people in East Africa. In Kenya, CARE provides food, water, primary education and psychological support to over 400,000 residents in the Dadaab refugee camps and is working with 305,000 people in north-eastern Kenya to reduce long-term vulnerabilities. In Ethiopia, CARE is providing emergency food and water, and implementing livelihood assistance such as seed distribution. CARE is also reaching families in Northern Somalia with water source rehabilitation and livelihoods support.
  • Oxfam is reaching over 700,000 people in Somalia with clean water, sanitation and public health promotion to prevent diseases like cholera and acute watery diarrhea (AWD). In Ethiopia, Oxfam is delivering clean water, rehabilitating water points and distributing hygiene kits, while in Kenya Oxfam is reaching over 700,000 people with water, sanitation and supporting people’s livelihoods with cash and food for work programs.
  • Pla n’s most immediate efforts in helping over 260,000 people in Kenya and more than 1 million people in Ethiopia includes providing critically needed high-protein and calorie-rich food supplements to children, breastfeeding moms, and pregnant women suffering from malnutrition. Plan is also providing supplementary feeding to needy households and families; delivering medicine; trucking clean water to health facilities and schools; and providing medical training for health workers. 
  • Save the Children is supporting 1.4 million people in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia; providing food, water, medicine, livelihood support and by protecting children. Save the Children is distributing water and improving water supply and sanitation facilities in health clinics and schools.  Save the Children is conducting child protection activities, placing unaccompanied children with foster parents and responding to cases of child abuse and neglect.


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