East Africa Crisis Appeal Somalia South Sudan Ethiopia Kenya

Across East Africa, millions of people face starvation. The United Nations warns that the world faces the largest humanitarian crisis since 1945. Across East Africa, millions of people face starvation. Famine has already been declared in parts of South Sudan. People are already dying. Somalia South Sudan Ethiopia Kenya

Why is there a food crisis now? The weather effect known as El Niño and failed rains have led to drought and poor harvests. In East Africa, droughts are occurring more often, so people have less time to recover between them. As well as this, in some areas, conflict has driven people from their homes, stopped them from making a living and caused the economy to collapse.

How does CAFOD help? CAFOD partners and Caritas agencies are helping in many of the areas where food shortages are most severe. In East Africa we are helping in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan.

Fergus Conmee, CAFOD’s Head of Africa, recently returned from South Sudan: “The CAFOD team in South Sudan is making plans to provide emergency food to 12,000 people this month, but this will only meet a small part of the enormous needs.” “Now is not the time for the international community to walk away…”

Our partners’ – local organisations that we support – know the communities and their needs. CAFOD is also part of Caritas International - a global network of Catholic agencies. This means we can reach remote places that other agencies cannot reach.

The DEC appeal When there is a crisis, major aid agencies in the UK fundraise together as the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). CAFOD is part of the DEC. The DEC launched an East Africa Crisis Appeal on 15 March.

What could YOU do? Find out more: East Africa Crisis appeal South Sudan famine Tell others: Speak to another year group or in your parish. Fundraise: There are lots of fundraising tips on our website. Pray: Arrange a special prayer space during lunch or break time. Encourage people to light a candle, write a prayer or simply spend time praying in silence.

Thank you for Lent Fast Day Lent and Harvest Fast Day fund our partners’ long-term development projects in more than 40 countries. Your Fast Day donations mean that we are already present in some of the countries where there is a crisis. But our partners and all agencies agree that we must make a special appeal now for East Africa because of the extreme need.

Let us pray: Loving God, we pray for our sisters and brothers suffering the effects of conflict and drought. We pray for those who are hungry and thirsty, and we pray for those trying to help them. Inspire the world, and each one of us, to share what we have been given, and build a world where no-one need hunger and all your children can live life to the full. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen

Credits Photographs: David Mutua, Fergus Conmee/CAFOD Maps: d-maps.com