Somalia Famine and Drought Relief

In 2011 and 2012 Mercy-USA for Aid and Development responded to the famine and drought in Somalia and the drought in Kenya.

The Horn of Africa suffered from the lowest rainfall in over 60 years.  Approximately 13 million persons in the Horn were affected by this severe drought and the resulting food crisis conditions, with 3.7 million of them in Somalia and 3.5 million in Kenya. 
The United Nations had stated that Somalia was experiencing “the most severe food crisis in the world today.”

On July 20, 2011, the United Nations declared a famine in parts of Somalia.  On August 3, 2011, the UN declared that the famine had spread to three more regions of southern Somalia, including the camps for displaced families
in the capital Mogadishu. On September 5, the UN declared that famine had spread to a sixth region of Somalia, the Bay Region.  In total, 4 million people are in crisis in Somalia, with 750,000 people at risk of death in
the coming four months in the absence of adequate response. Tens of thousands of people have already died, over half of whom are children. Assuming current levels of response continue, famine is expected to spread
further over the coming four months.

Malnutritional levels for children have soared.  In many regions of Somalia, 30% to 50% of the children are malnourished. The UN estimates that 29,000 children under the age of five have already died, while 640,000
Somali children are acutely malnourished and at risk of dying, unless helped immediately!

  

Mercy-USA for Aid and Development's Response

Mercy-USA for Aid and Development's projects focus on nutrition, primary health care and promotion, controlling infectious diseases and improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene. Mercy-USA's response to
the ongoing drought and resultant food crisis involves supplementary and therapeutic feeding programs for malnourished children under five years of age, as well as pregnant women and nursing mothers.

The program also includes the digging of wells to provide safe drinking water as well as the distribution of household items (kitchen kits, jerry cans, sleeping mats, blankets, soap, wash buckets, plastic sheets) and monthly food
rations (55 pounds of flour, 55 lb. of rice, 44 lb. of beans and 5 liters of cooking oil) to famine-displaced families.

In addition, Mercy-USA is providing a local Somali hot porridge (ugali) twice daily (in the morning and afternoon) to 300 vulnerable children and women now living in camps for internally displaced people in three districts (Yaqshid,
Abdulaziz and Daynile) of Somalia's capital Mogadishu. Ugali is made from a combination of sorghum, wheat and green beans that is boiled in water.

We are also providing the famine and drought displaced families in these three districts with free basic medical care, including medicines, through three clinics, one in each of the three districts listed above.  A gift of $175 provides
one family with all needed household items listed above, plus life-sustaining food for one month and free basic medical care.

On September 19, we began the hot porridge distribution and the three clinics began examining and treating patients.

From September 21 to September 26, we distributed 2,092 dry food packages to 2,092 famine-displaced families (about 12,550 persons).  Each package contained 55 pounds of flour, 55 lb. of rice, 44 lb. of beans and 5 liters of
cooking oil.  We also provided these families with 2,092 household kits.  Each kit contained a sleeping mat, a wash bucket, a kettle, 2 jerry cans, 2 pots, 2 plates, 4 plastic cups and soap.

From August to December 2011, Mercy-USA is digging 44 new wells, including 25 wells to provide safe drinking water to ten drought-affected villages in the regions of Galgadud and Mudug (also known as Gal-Mudug) and 19 new
wells near camps for famine and drought displaced persons in Mogadishu.  Combined, these 44 new wells will provide fresh drinking water to towns, villages, camps for displaced persons and local host communities with an
estimated population of approximately 60,000 persons and 159,000 livestock.  Many of the residents of the ten villages in Gal-Mudug are agro-pastoralists and depend on their livestock for food and income. 

                   

From July 15 to July 21, Mercy-USA distributed 15-day food rations to over 1,800 starving families (about 10,800 persons) in Kenya and Somalia.  In Somalia, food was provided to approximately 1,100 drought
and famine-affected displaced families (about 6,600 persons) in Mogadishu and Gal-Mudug.  These extremely vulnerable families traveled many miles from their villages to seek food and refuge and are now 
living in makeshift camps and damaged buildings.

  

In Kenya, Mercy-USA distributed food rations to about 700 drought-affected Kenyan families (about 4,200 persons), as well as Somali refugees living in Mandera County.

                     


  


Your help is urgent! Please send your life-saving donation today!


* $175 helps one drought and famine affected family                       * $350 helps 2 families

* $525 helps 3 families                                                                      * $700 helps 4 families

* $1,050 helps 6 families                                                                   * $1,750 helps 10 families

* $3,250 digs a well to provide safe drinking water to at least 100 families (about 600 persons) and their livestock.

You may send your contribution immediately through the secure online donation form or mail it to: