East Africa Crisis

About the Emergency

Millions of people across East Africa are still suffering from the effects of the worst drought in 60 years. With malnutrition a chronic problem in the region, more than 13 million people were hit hard by the drought, with Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia among the countries impacted the most severely. Without water, crops failed, livestock died and food prices skyrocketed. Throughout the second half of 2011, famine spread through southern Somalia, taking its highest toll on children. Now, rains have begun to alleviate the drought, but food is still in short supply. Meanwhile, flooding has added to the suffering of displaced families, and illnesses have begun spreading rapidly through the weakened population.

Please help Islamic Relief help East Africa by donating today.

How Islamic Relief Is Helping

**”Horn of Africa Crisis” Briefing on Capitol Hill hosted by Islamic Relief USA**
Speakers from several organizations, including InterAction, Mercy Corps, Refugees International joined Islamic Relief USA and Congressman Keith Ellison on Dec. 1, 2011, to discuss the on-going crisis throughout East Africa.The briefing, hosted by Islamic Relief USA, was held on Capitol Hill. More information is available here.

**#FWD the Facts Campaign**
Islamic Relief USA was selected by the Obama Administration to help lead a faith-based awareness campaign in the United States about the humanitarian crisis affecting East Africa. Islamic Relief USA’s CEO Abed Ayoub participated in a conference with faith-based and community groups about the campaign in early November 2011—speaking on behalf of the Muslim-American community, Ayoub cited the efforts of Islamic Relief USA and its community in helping alleviate the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people. Ayoub also presented key plans for continued work in the region. To read a blog about the conference, check out “Read this for Medina, Nour and Fatima”.

Islamic Relief USA also joined USAID to “FWD the Facts” on Nov. 9, 2011, to help spread information about the crisis in East Africa and about how individuals can help. Click here to learn more about this initiative on usaid.gov/fwd. Read “Islamic Relief USA Partners with USAID for Horn of Africa FWD Campaign” to learn more about Islamic Relief USA’s involvement.

Islamic Relief has been working in Kenya since 1993, Somalia since 1998, and Ethiopia since 2000 to help the people there who have lived under dire conditions for decades.

The Islamic Relief family is collectively responding through the Islamic Relief offices in East Africa, which have been delivering assistance for this particular effort since July 2011. So far, Islamic Relief has helped provide

• Food and supplemental nutrition
• Water and water treatment items
• Medicine and health care services
• Emergency seed packs
• Nutrition and health care for livestock (including protein supplementation and vaccination)
• Fixed water wells
• Latrines
• Hygiene kits
• Cooking and other household items

Here are more specific examples of how your generous donations are helping Islamic Relief help drought survivors throughout East Africa:

• More than 600,000 people (90,000 families) in Somalia have received food aid distributions.
• Some 8,000 malnourished children in Ethiopia have benefited from a supplementary feeding program.
• Five deep-water wells have been rehabilitated in Kenya.
• Five teams of Islamic Relief volunteer doctors have been providing mobile health clinic services daily in camps housing Somali refugees—an estimated 30,000 people have had access to these services.
• More than 35,500 children under the age of 3, and pregnant and lactating mothers have benefitted from a blanket supplementary feeding program in Kenya.
• Water trucks have delivered clean water to more than 40,000 people in Ethiopia.
• Some 11,000 households in Somalia have gained access to sanitary latrines.

InterAction has created an integrated map of relief efforts throughout East Africa that cites Islamic Relief’s efforts there.

Click the image to see the map.

Islamic Relief has helped hundreds of thousands of people throughout the region, but we need your help to continue to do so—the need for water, food and shelter is so extreme that your donations can literally save lives today.

Check out these videos and pictures taken from the field. You can see full-size versions on IRUSA’s Youtube.com channel. Read first-hand accounts from Islamic Relief USA staffers Anwar Khan and Reem El-Khatib, who were in Kenya and Somalia in September and October 2011.

How You Can Help

Here’s a sample of how your donations can help get vital resources to people in the region:

• About $1 vaccinates and treats one livestock animal in Ethiopia
• About $500 provides three months’ worth of food packs and water for a family of eight in Somalia
• About $19,430 funds the rehabilitation of one deep-water well in Kenya

These are just some of the services we’re able to provide with your donations. There are many more.