In April 2008, a combination of drought, failed harvests and the continued rise in global food prices has left at least 7 million people facing hunger in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Somaliland.

With millions facing hunger and destitution, ActionAid is warning that the region is now reaching a tipping point with increasing numbers of people unable to cope.

In Ethiopia, the government estimates that 4.6 million people need emergency food aid. Less documented is the disastrous food crisis in Kenya, with 1.2 million people already affected and numbers rising daily.

Areas which normally get two rainy seasons a year have had inadequate rain for more than 12 months. Crops have failed, livestock have been dying.

“People have started eating the carcasses of their dead animals which poses a serious health risk. If humanitarian assistance is not forthcoming soon, humans will also succumb to the drought,” said Musa Kibon, ActionAid’s Programme Assistant in Tangulbei.

Our response:

• ActionAid is focusing on Ethiopia and Kenya, reaching out to a total of 133,000 people in these two countries by providing food, water, nutrition supplements, clothes, shelter, seeds, farm tools and cooking utensils.

• Investing over £100,000 to support communities by buying water tanks, medicine for animals and food for children and mothers.

• Helping those who lost their crops, by providing potato tubers to replant plots of land.

• So far in Kenya we have reached 25,000 people with water trucks and aim to reach another 65,000 over the coming weeks.

• Working with partners in Ethiopia, we have been able to provide food rations for over 1000 children under five.
  In conflict-affected Kamashi, we have provided temporary shelters for 300 families, plus seeds, tools and clothes. In Ankober we have enough seeds to distribute to 4400 people and we have already provided 200 children with food.