26 October 2017
A race against time: Communities unite to raise money for famine appeal
Over 7 million people are at serious risk of starvation inYemen, and millions more are severely malnourished in Somalia andSouth Sudan. Chronic food insecurity across these nations has ledto the grim reality that a huge number of people are at seriousrisk of dying of hunger.
On 22 February 2017, All We Can and the World ChurchRelationships Team of the Methodist Church in Britain, launched anurgent appeal to respond to this catastrophic situation. Sincethen, the true extent of the need has been highlighted by theUnited Nations. Stephen O'Brien, UN Humanitarian Coordinator,defined the current situation as a "critical point inhistory".
A collective response
The collective action of individuals and churches has alreadybeen inspiring, with more than £100,000 given in response to theEast Africa Famine Appeal. With millions facing starvation acrossEast Africa and the wider region, the task might seem overwhelming- but communities have risen to the challenge.
For many, the response to this appeal has been deeply heartfelt.Sister Eluned Williams MBE explained, "I cannot imagine what it islike not to know where tomorrow's food is coming from. It is justso horrendous and the very dignity of people is stripped away. WhatI can give might only be a little, but if many give a little then Ihope lots of people who are in great need will be helped."The RevdGail Hunt of Gracious Street Methodist Church in Yorkshire said,"We may be here in Knaresborough, but we are one human family. Wewanted to respond because we have all been aware of what hashappened in the past, we have all seen those horrific images on ourtelevision screens."
Reaching the most vulnerable
The funds already raised for the appeal will be used across anumber of countries including Yemen, Somalia and South Sudan. InYemen, life-saving food will be distributed by All We Can's localpartner to some of the most vulnerable families. In South Sudan andSomalia, All We Can's partner has already begun providingnutritional support for the most malnourished victims of the foodcrisis. In South Sudan, All We Can are responding in one of theregions flagged by the United Nations as most severely affected bythe famine. In Somalia, money already raised will be supporting16,000 people to access nutritional supplements.
In 2011, Somalia saw more than 260,000 of its people die as aresult of a devastating famine. Approximately half of those wholost their lives were children under the age of five. Children areoften the most vulnerable to acute malnutrition, and support isvital for the under-fives. A simple, nutritious, high-energy peanutpaste can save lives - providing children with the nourishment theyneed to gain weight and to fight diseases that might otherwisedefeat their weakened immune systems.
The need is vast - and the Methodist Church inBritain continue to urge people to respond quickly, generously, andcollectively to this catastrophic situation by supporting theappeal being managed by All We Can.
£15 could provide a vulnerable individual with food aidin Yemen for a month. £45 could provide life-saving nutrition foran acutely malnourished child in South Sudan for fiveweeks.
To support the East Africa Famine Appeal visit
Notes:
For press interviews or further information and images, pleasecontact:
Laura Cook
Communications Manager
All We Can
25 Marylebone Road
London NW1 5JR
Tel: 020 7467 3534
Email:
Website:
[Image 1] Baby Asha was severely malnourished and crying whenshe was first brought in to the health facility run by All We Can'spartner in Somalia. ©Medair
[Image 2] People attending Gracious StreetMethodist Church in North Yorkshire raise money for the East AfricaFamine Appeal.