Last summer Canadians like you responded to a massive food and drought crisis affecting 12 million people in East Africa. Successive seasons of insufficient rainfall, coupled with increased instability in the region, forced families to the brink of survival. Hundreds of thousands of people from Somalia fled their homes in search of food, shelter, and safety, resulting in a dramatic influx of refugees to the world’s largest refugee camp in Dadaab, Kenya, as well as other neighbouring countries. In July 2012, the worst-case scenario was realized when famine was declared in parts of Somalia.
As families in East Africa struggled to survive, Canadians like you responded. Your support helped CARE reach 2.8 million drought-affected women, men and children in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Somalia with
- food, water and essential household and hygiene supplies;
- treatment for acute malnutrition of children under five;
- the expansion and rehabilitation of water sources, sanitation facilities and hygiene education;
- support and counseling for survivors of trauma, sexual and gender-based violence;
- support to herding communities to maintain the health of their animals; and
- agricultural support such as seeds to allow farmers to replant.
Shukri Ali Ahalif, a member of CARE’s Gender and Development team in Dadaab, Kenya, and himself a refugee, explains to a Somali family how to access the services they need in Dadaab.
CARE continues to work in the region, as many communities remain vulnerable, and thanks to you, will be there in the years ahead as families face increasingly challenging circumstances.
Want to see more photos of CARE’s work in the crisis? Check out our Flickr Photo Album commemorating the event.
