CDP launches a Global Hunger Crisis Fund

The calls to action have been loud and frequent these last few months. Calls to protect women’s rights, end gun violence, stem the hastening pace of global warming, stop the war in Ukraine, end the pandemic. To say that a lot is going on across the globe would be an understatement.

And, yet, I am writing today to tell you about another crisis that requires your immediate action. The pending famine crisis in the Horn of Africa is of grave concern and requires philanthropic investment to end it before predicted dire consequences become a reality. Share on X

The Center for Disaster Philanthropy is responding to the hunger crisis with a bold and preemptive move to stem the pending famine crisis in the Horn of Africa by launching the CDP Global Hunger Crisis Fund.

Crisis-level urgency

We are witnessing an urgent and dire situation that negatively impacts millions of people. Protracted drought conditions, the COVID-19 pandemic, soaring food and commodity prices, and the economic downturn have put millions of people in danger of starvation.

Oxfam reported that one in five people (282 million) is now undernourished, and 93 million in 36 African countries are suffering extreme levels of hunger. Nearly 16 million people in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya urgently need food. In Somalia, 7.1 million people (close to half the population) are facing crisis-level food insecurity or worse. In Kenya, 4.1 million people are likely to be highly food insecure. In East Africa, one person is estimated to die every 48 seconds.

The drought and pandemic-induced disruption extend beyond famine. It is affecting the education of young children in Somalia. It has killed upwards of seven million livestock across the Horn of Africa. The number of internally displaced persons across the region is greater than ever, owing to the area’s famine crisis.

To learn more about the crisis itself, please visit our Horn of Africa disaster profile.

Worldwide action is needed now

With the Ukraine crisis taking the international spotlight, and the myriad of calls to action I mentioned above, the pending famine crisis will remain in its shadows and struggle to attract funding.

I hope you will join me in preempting a catastrophic famine crisis. You can learn more about our Fund, which will focus on ensuring access to basic services and strengthening the protection of those affected by the famine crisis. Our organizational partners on the ground have identified critical needs that encompass different sectors, including education, food, health, protection, shelter, economic development, water, sanitation and hygiene.

The pending famine crisis in the Horn of Africa is a call not to be missed. Share on X