Successive failed rainy seasons have resulted in the worst drought in decades in the Horn of Africa, with many young children dying from hunger and illness. Around 14 million people in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya are now in urgent need of aid, with hundreds of thousands of people fleeing their homes to search for food and water. Many are now living in overcrowded camps.
The war in Ukraine has made the crisis even worse as the price of staple foods and fuel soars. In the Horn of Africa many countries previously imported most of their wheat from Ukraine, so the effect is dire.
With the region on the verge of famine, Islamic Relief responds by providing poor families with food and cash, vaccinating and feeding livestock to keep them healthy, repairing water supplies and providing sanitation facilities; supporting health workers to care for severely malnourished children; and helping farmers develop new irrigation systems and use drought-resistant seeds.
Fifty-five-year-old community elder Yusuf has lived his whole life in War Imran village, in the Togdher region of Somaliland. His village has endured two terrible years of drought in which thousands of livestock – vital for local livelihoods – have died.
In Somalia’s Bari region, a woman collects water from a facility provided by Islamic Relief. The drastic rise in food prices has made life here even tougher. Previously, £59 used to be enough to feed a family of six for a month, but now basic food supplies cost at least £85 a month.
Disaster
The heaviest rains in over 60 years destroy homes, livelihoods and vital infrastructure in South Africa.
Impact
Over 440 people die and more than 40,000 are displaced. Four thousand homes are destroyed and thousands more severely damaged, along with schools and public infrastructure. The supply of water and electricity to many residential areas is disrupted.
Response
Islamic Relief staff and volunteers swing into action in the worst affected areas: Clermont, Marianridge, Savannah Park, Redhill, Waterloo, Amaoti and Tongaat. We provide blankets, mattresses and kitchen sets, repair flood damaged houses and raise awareness on water, sanitation and hygiene.
