East Africa Drought and Famine

A crisis of hunger and drought ravaged east Africa in 2011 in an area known as the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Kenya & Ethiopia). The United Nations and humanitarian agencies struggled to keep up with an exodus of hungry Somalian refugees and many emaciated children died of malnutrition along the way or after arriving in neighbouring countries. The countries of Ethiopia and Kenya were also affected by the extreme drought, and many suffered and perished.

More than 12.5 million people in the Horn of Africa needed assistance to survive the crisis sparked by the worst drought in sixty years.

Through the generosity of Canadian donors, and through Canadian Foodgrains Bank matched funding, ERDO helped deliver $1,900,000 worth of food aid to children and their families. We are so grateful for every dollar that was donated and is now "doing good".

The situation today-

ERDO continues to work, on a long term basis, with some of the communities where we provided emergency food aid during the Horn of Africa Crisis in late 2011 through to early fall 2012. As a direct result of our Horn of Africa Crisis response, ERDO is working with two communities in Northern Kenya where we had responded with emergency assistance during the crisis.  In Namuroputh and Lokwatubwa, Turkana, we are implementing a sustainable agriculture project and in Marsabit we are involved in a livestock project that helps widows and their children become self-sustaining.  In both Turkana and Marsabit we continue to assist mothers and children with supplementary food assistance.

How we helped families in the Horn of Africa:

• ERDO partnered in several large food aid programs through the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB), a Christian food justice focused organization we are a founding member of. CFGB projects helped over 20,000 families and impacted between 120,000 and 130,000 people.
• With in-country partners in Somalia, we helped 19,600 men, women and children fleeing starvation who were enroute to refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya from Mogadishu, Somalia. This project provided needed food on the journey and enough food to fill the critical gap between arrival and registration at the camps.
• With Christian Reformed World Relief (CRWRC) we helped 2,200 drought affected households in Kenya by providing each with 50 kg of maize (corn) and 10 kg of beans/split peas. The households that were targeted for this aid were trying to survive on less than one meal a day.
• Also in Kenya, another food aid program with the CRWRC is providing monthly assistance of 50 kg of maize, 10 kg of beans/split peas, 3 litres of oil and 1/2 kg of salt per household. 16,800 households will be receiving this monthly aid at the cost of $50 each.
• In Ethiopia ERDO partnered with CRWRC to provide 723 households with monthly food assistance at the cost of $69 each.
• Also in Ethiopia, another food aid program was provided by Hiwot Berhan Church through ERDO in partnership with MCC. This program reached pastoralist people and helped 2,153 households.
• Personal support for expectant mothers and children under 5 years. This program provided much needed food to 6,250 individuals.
• In partnership with CCA we helped by providing non-food essentials in both Kenya and Somalia which required direct (unmatched donations). These items included sanitation programs, shelter and food(forage) for animals.
• Protection of livelihoods, especially of pastoralist families has been an important aspect of ERDO's response in the crisis. Through our on-ground partner Sauti Moja, we provided food for the animals of 120 widows.
• Under the care of Deborah Sirjoosingh, a PAOC Global Worker living in remote Turkana, Kenya, ERDO has provided a CFGB matched food aid program to help pastoralist families with monthly family rations and protection of family livelihoods. This impacted 22,000 households.