Help children facing famine around the world

A deadly mix of drought, conflict and COVID-19 has pushed more than 10 million people across Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda to the brink of starvation.

Help children facing famine around the world

A deadly mix of drought, conflict and COVID-19 has pushed more than 10 million people across Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda to the brink of starvation.

Emergency appeal – Your support is urgently needed
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As child hunger is driven to unprecedented levels, we face a race against time.

50 million people in countries including Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan and Afghanistan are currently at risk of starving in the worst hunger crisis in a generation. In seven countries across East Africa, a complex mix of challenges is causing child malnutrition levels to soar.

Conflict, climate change, the economic impact of COVID-19, and fallout from the war in Ukraine are driving a hunger and malnutrition emergency in which tens of thousands of children could die.

While the underlying causes and aggravating factors of food insecurity are different in each country, one thing is common across them all: without a massive and urgent scale-up of action now, the situation will get much worse.

You can help provide life-saving relief

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Should we receive contributions more than the needs in a particular emergency appeal, we will use the excess in other emergency-related activity.

Across East Africa, 10.4 million people are experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity. 

50 million

people in 45 countries are at risk of starving.

4.9 million

children are acutely malnourished in drought-affected areas in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.

60%

of the world’s acutely hungry live in conflict areas.

Famine looms in Somalia, with more than 7 million people suffering from drought.

Following a record fourth failed rainy season, Somalia is experiencing its worst drought in 40 years. Close to half the country’s population is facing crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity. Some 213,000 people are already experiencing famine-like conditions. 

Poor rains have caused crop and livestock production failure, while the war in Ukraine has exacerbated rising food prices. Millions of people are one step away from starvation. 

Over 3 million livestock have died, removing a major income source for families and a main source of nutrition for children. 

Drought has also caused a mass displacement crisis. Lack of access to food and water has forced at least 1 million people from their homes since December 2021. Women and children make up over 80 percent of the displaced population and face enormous safeguarding risks.  

In 2011, a similar crisis claimed the lives of 258,000 people in Somalia – half of them children under five. The current situation is thought to be even worse, with drought conditions expected to intensify and result in a fifth consecutive failed rainy season.

What will your donations support?

Tackling climate change with sustainable farming programs

Sustainable farming programs

to tackle climate change and build family incomes.

Cash vouchers and emergency food supplies

Emergency food supplies

and cash vouchers for families.

Protecting children from abuse

Protecting children

from the consequences of a hunger crisis, such as child abuse and forced marriage.

Malnourished child eating

Healthcare and nutrition

to help malnourished children.

Running from hunger

Faduma (pictured here with her daughter Hibo), has already lost two of her daughters to hunger. That's why she fled with her remaining children and her own mother to a camp for displaced people at Doolow in south-western Somalia. Faduma's family is among around 38,000 hunger-affected families who World Vision is providing with cash and food vouchers in partnership with the UN World Food Programme.

When her three- and four-year-old daughters died, Faduma and her family walked for seven days to reach help. They lost their entire herd of almost 100 camels to Somalia's record-breaking drought.

"My message to the world is that we are suffering. We need assistance from the humanitarian agencies," said Faduma.

Back in 2011, a similar crisis claimed the lives of 258,000 people in Somalia, half of them children under five.

The current situation is thought to be worse than in 2011, with a fifth consecutive failed rainy season on the horizon. 7.8 million people – half of Somalia's population – are already suffering from drought, and 300,000 people are experiencing famine-like conditions. It's estimated that 1.8 million Somali children under five will be acutely malnourished by mid-2023.

Read more

Mother and daughter in Somalia

You can help families like Faduma’s by donating now.

Donate now

If you would like to provide more regular and long-term support, you can sponsor a child.

Sponsor a child