World Renew Increases Response to Famine Crisis

World Renew is calling for support to increase its work in eastern Africa as it aims to help prevent additional countries from progressing from severe food insecurity to famine.

World Renew is already at work in the region, including South Sudan, where famine has been declared by the United Nations, and Nigeria, where millions are also facing extreme food insecurity.

World Renew, in partnership with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB), is providing food assistance to over 74,500 people within the African continent alone. Yet there are 70 million more people in the region who do not know where their next meal will come from.

“We are standing on the brink of an expanded famine crisis in eastern Africa that we can help to prevent,” says Kenneth Kim, World Renew’s Director of Disaster Response and Rehabilitation.

“The food insecurity in Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia is very severe and the need for a response is massive, but it has not gone past the point of no return. There is still an opportunity to step in and respond, before the crisis has irreversible consequences.”

World Renew works with trusted local partners who are already on the ground in the countries it serves. This structure allows for higher efficiency, a deeper understanding of local culture, and a greater breadth of knowledge in determining the most vulnerable populations.

In Ethiopia, for example, World Renew is working with the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church to provide food assistance to some of the most vulnerable, including the elderly, disabled, and female-headed households.

“Local partners and their existing infrastructure enable every dollar we invest to go further, and ensure local ownership of the work” says Kim. “In disaster response scenarios in particular, there is a risk of building dependency. Yet by working with our partners, the knowledge and impact of how to respond to a crisis remains long after World Renew leaves.”

While significant attention has been given to famine being declared in South Sudan, and the existing crisis in Nigeria, there continues to be a lack of awareness of the scale of the food crisis in the broader region.

World Renew is appealing for funds today to provide assistance in communities before it is too late. Gifts from Canadian residents are eligible for matching funds from the Canadian government, up to 4:1. All donations will go toward World Renew’s response to famine and drought.

To donate to help, visit worldrenew.net/donate, or call 800-730-3490 (Canada)  or 1-800-552-7972 (U.S.), or mailing a cheque made out to World Renew and designated “East Africa Famine” in the memo line to: World Renew, 3475 Mainway, STN LCD 1, Burlington, Ont., L7R 3Y8.