Church makes major famine-relief donation

27 Sept 2017, 2:40 p.m. MDT

Credit: ©2017 BY INTELLECTUAL RESERVE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

A medical practitioner uses a Mid Upper-Arm Circumference (MUAC) measuring tape on a child indicating Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) at a mobile clinic at a temporary settlement for families who have been forced to move because of drought near the town of Ainabo, Somalia, Thursday 9 March 2017. As the humanitarian situation in Somalia continues to deteriorate in early 2017, an estimated 6.2 million people (about half of the population) are either severely food insecure or in need of livelihood support. Severe drought is now affecting all regions, following the failure of two or more consecutive rains, and with the last Deyr season (October-December) performing poorly and large areas receiving less than 40 percent normal rainfall. The ongoing drought and other shocks have left communities with little or no remaining resources. Entire villages have lost their crops or seen their livestock die. The prices for water and locally produced food have risen dramatically, and thousands of people are on the move in search of food and water. The drought is also exacerbating the existing nutrition crisis in the country, where more than 363,000 children under the age of 5 are acutely malnourished, including 71,000 suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and in urgent need of life-saving treatment. UNICEF estimates that by April 2017, 750,000 people will need health assistance and 4.5 million will need water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) support. Also, should the next rains prove inadequate and humanitarian assistance not reach drought-affected populations, there is a risk of famine in the second half of 2017. The drought has also led to an increase in waterborne diseases, with more than 4,000 cases of acute watery diarrhoea/cholera this year. UNICEF and the World Food Programme are working together to scale up their responses in accessible areas, where millions of lives are at risk. Joint efforts include providing food and water vouchers for hundreds of thousand Credit: © UNICEF/UN057372/Holt

Displaced women queue with containers for clean water from a UNICEF and ECHO-supported clean-water tank at the internally displaced peoples camp in Galkayo, Somalia, Wednesday 12 April 2017. Over 500,000 people in Somalia have been forced to leave their homes in search of food and water. As of April 2017, the humanitarian situation in Somalia continues to deteriorate due to the severe drought, which started in the north in 2016 and is now affecting most of the country. Over 6.2 million people are facing acute food insecurity and 4.5 million people are estimated to be in need of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) assistance. The situation is especially grave for children. Close to one million children (under five) will be acutely malnourished in 2017, including 185,000 severely malnourished, which may increase to over 270,000 if famine is not averted. Severely malnourished children are nine times more likely to die of killer diseases like cholera / acute watery diarrhea and measles, which are spreading. The drought is also uprooting people, with more than 530,000 displaced since November 2016, adding to the 1.1 million already internally displaced (IDPs). This includes 278,000 new IDPs in the month of March alone, with 72,000 new arrivals in Mogadishu and 70,000 in Baidoa. In addition, the number of people crossing into Kenya is increasing. The rapid scale of displacement increases the risk of family separation and gender-based violence. Children are also dropping out of school, with 50,000 children reported to have stopped going to school, and an additional 40,000 at risk of being forced to interrupt their schooling. The Gu (April-June) rains are slowly unfolding, bringing much needed relief to parts of the country. But the rains also spell danger for children. If they come in full they will inflict further misery on children living in flimsy, makeshift shelters made of twigs and cloth or tarps. If the Gu rains fail, and if assistance doesnt reach familie Credit: © UNICEF/UN061108/Knowles-Coursin

By Church News Archives

The Church is providing an additional $11 million in assistance for famine victims in eight countries in Africa and the Middle East.

The aid announcement was made Wednesday, Sept. 27, after the donation was approved by the First Presidency to provide assistance to areas of the world experiencing drought, civil conflict, disease and other challenges, according to a Mormon Newsroom release.

LDS Charities, the humanitarian arm of the Church, is partnering with 11 global relief organizations to support 25 projects in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen, Niger, Kenya, Uganda and DR Congo.

“During our recent visits to Africa, we have seen firsthand the importance of helping to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters who face great challenges and difficult circumstances,” said Bishop Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop of the Church. “Contributions from our faithful members provide funding for food, shelter, clean water, medical care and other life-sustaining supplies for more than a million people — including severely malnourished children.”

The Church’s donation of cash and commodities will benefit more than 1.1 million people for up to a year, the release said.

LDS Charities is partnering with key nongovernmental and faith-based organizations, including CARE International, Catholic Relief Services, Convoy of Hope, International Rescue Committee, Islamic Relief USA, Rahma Relief, Real Medicine Foundation, Save the Children, UNICEF USA, USA for UNHCR and the World Food Programme.

“What a wonderful opportunity we have to give of our substance to those who are suffering, to lighten their burdens and let them know that we care. And how grateful we are for partners of like mind who help us serve those in places we cannot reach on our own,” said Sister Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society general president.