Last week here in Melbourne and around the world we were shown gut wrenching and painful images of the famine that has hit the Horne of Africa. As I sat in my lovely home and soo comfortable in my safe surrounds the 6pm news detailed the horrid events that has struck Africa yet again. Seeing women and children in endless queues in hope to get help. Camps filed with desperate people. Families walking days looking for help only to arrive at a destination that has no room for them or their dying children.
I was in Eritrea 8 months ago and remembered the desperate measures people were using to get the next meals. I did forgot a lot of the pain I came across experienced by close family and strangers once I was back to my safe haven her in Australia.
Those very images filled me with soo much anger and distaste towards my attitude. No wonder the world today is what it is. Everything seems a distance from us. I for one have lost that anger and raged that I experienced whilst there.
This time though Inshallah it will be different even if it is in the smallest way. After been approached by a friend to help raise funds I jumped at it. This is in no way to gloat or feel good about it. A group of sisters from all walks of lives have come together to raise funds.
SO PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY TO THOSE LOOKING FOR THERE NEXT MEAL BY DONATING THROUGH THE LINK BELOW.
A few facts from UNICF site:
Somalia
Famine has officially been declared in South Somalia.
Of the 3.7 million people that are affected, half are under the age of 18 and one in five of those affected are under five years of age.
A famine is declared when acute malnutrition rates for children exceed 30 per cent and death rates for children exceed four in every 10,000 of the population.
UNICEF is supporting over 800 Nutrition Centres, including 400 Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) centres where severely malnourished children are treated.
Kenya
In Kenya, more than 385,000 children and 90,000 pregnant and lactating women are suffering from malnutrition.
Conflict and drought in neighbouring Somalia has put additional pressure on resources at the border and on the limited services available in overcrowded refugee camps. There are 10,000 new arrivals each week into the Dadaab camp in north-eastern Kenya, which already holds more than 380,000 refugees.
UNICEF is working with its partners on the ground to provide therapeutic foods to malnourished children as well as providing safe water sources and emergency access to education for children.
Ethiopia
The worst drought in 60 years has heavily affected the food security situation in Ethiopia. The number of people in need of emergency food assistance has increased from 2.8 million at the beginning of the year to 3.2 million in April.
Drought and food price increases has resulted in increased malnutrition among children. Over 300,000 severely malnourished children will require life-saving nutrition treatment this year.
The high risk of large-scale flooding and a continued influx of refugees from Somalia is further exacerbating the situation.
UNICEF Please message me or email me for more details how to give.
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