World Vision is responding to the impact of hunger in seven countries across East Africa and requires US $ 181 million to reach 5 million people, including 2.7 million children by April 2023. Since April 2021, we have reached more than 8.9 million people including 4.7 million children.

A deadly mix of conflict, COVID-19 and climate change have pushed more than 7.3 million people across seven countries in East Africa to the very brink of a hunger crisis. Of critical concern are vulnerable children who are experiencing high levels of malnutrition.

Conflict is one of the leading drivers of hunger globally. Every country where World Vision has a presence in East Africa is either in conflict or neighbouring a country in conflict. The region has also endured substantial climate shocks, undermining people’s ability to feed themselves. The economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ripple effect from the war in Ukraine has driven hunger to unprecedented levels.

Impact on children and humanitarian needs, including safeguarding risks, are enormous. This challenging period could also erode human and economic development gains that have been made towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals across the region.

World Vision is deeply concerned for millions of children in East Africa, who are enduring a devastating hunger crisis. According to UN OCHA, about 4.9 million children are malnourished in drought-affected areas in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. This is inclusive of about 1.4 million children who are severely acutely malnourished in the HOA states.

World Vision has reached more than 8.9 million people, including 4.7 million children, since April 2021. World Vision has responded with food distributions in multiple countries. Further, World Vision re-declared its multi-country response comprising Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. We aim to reach 5 million people, including 2.7 million children, by April 2023 through the second phase of the response. World Vision has been implementing a multi-country hunger emergency response in the above-mentioned countries for the last 17 months and has been able to re-purpose and raise new funds, to the tune of US $ 139 million. However, the needs have insurmountably increased and we require an additional US$ 45 million.

Source: World Vision