Information for young people

What is happening?  

What is happening? The United Nations warns that the world faces the largest humanitarian crisis since 1945. Across East Africa, 16 million people face starvation. Famine has already been declared in parts of South Sudan. People are already dying.  

Why is it happening? 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. In some areas, conflict has driven people from their homes, stopping them from making a living, and the economy has collapsed.

How is CAFOD helping? 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.  

In 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…”

“You cannot let us die.” Fergus met a man called Santino Matwili who was blind, due to extreme hunger. He said: “The hunger this year is very dangerous, far worse than previous years. We have not been able to grow food, as no rain has come." "Food has run out. You cannot let us die.”

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

CAFOD and DEC 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. The UK Government will match up to £5m of money raised.

Get involved £25 = One month’s special food for a malnourished child Find out more: From the news, twitter and our website. Tell others: Through a talk or display. Fundraise: We know how you always respond to emergencies. Thank you for all you will do. There are lots of fundraising tips on our website. Pray: Set up a prayer space at break or lunch. Ask people to light candles, write prayers or simply pray quietly. £25 = One month’s special food for a malnourished child £60 = Clean drinking water for two families for a month £25 could provide a month’s supply of life-saving peanut paste to a malnourished child. £60 could provide clean drinking water for two families for a month. £100 could provide supplies to a clinic treating severely malnourished children for a week £100 = A week’s supplies to a clinic treating children who are malnourished

Thank you Many of you fundraised for Lent Fast Day. Thank you! Our partners’ long-term development projects depend on Lenten and year-round donations. Your generosity means that we have already been working with many communities who are now suffering extreme hunger. But our partners and all agencies agree that urgent need means we must make a special appeal now for East Africa.

Let us pray Loving God, we pray for our sisters and brothers suffering the effects of conflict and drought. We pray for those who hunger and thirst, and we pray for those trying to help them. Inspire the world, and each one of us, to share what we have been given, so that everyone has enough 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 Credits: Photographs: David Mutua, Fergus Conmee/CAFOD Maps: d-maps.com