Fighting African hunger together
While the world watches the growing food and water shortages gripping the Horn of Africa, Canadian Christian organizations are doubling their efforts to both enhance existing projects and forge new partnerships to help stem the humanitarian crisis.
A cycle of severe droughts has affected more than 12 million people in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Djibouti. The area of deepest crisis is Somalia, where five areas are now in famine, according to the United Nations. Tens of thousands have died from malnutrition and starvation. But ongoing political unrest has prevented help from getting to those in need, with the UN World Food Program reporting aid operations in Somalia are among the "highest risk" in the world.
Much of the humanitarian response has therefore been focused on neighbouring Kenya, where hundreds of thousands of Somalis have fled to refugee camps, which are now struggling to keep up with the need for food, water, shelter and medical care.
Development workers now warn that unless they are able to shore up food security in neighbouring countries, the region may be looking at a larger crisis.
"Where there's an investment in communities, you are able to prevent them from flipping over that line into famine," says Emily Cain, communications officer for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, a coalition of 15 Canadian churches and faith-based agencies who work together to respond to global hunger.
"It's an absolutely shocking situation. But there is hope in that the communities where we have been working, investing in people, investing in agricultural tools, they have much more resilience."
Canadian Foodgrains Bank has committed $6.1 million to the area. This includes distributing food rations, increasing work in areas where they have existing projects and helping partners add a food component to existing projects.
She gives the example of one Kenyan community where the Mennonite Central Committee is building sand dams; an agriculture irrigation system that will capture rain water that is usually lost in flash floods.
"The community is contributing labour," she says. "At times when food is scarce and prices are high, a lot of people are not able to contribute their time. So by setting up a food component, where people are also able to also receive food for their families, they are able to work together to help prevent something like this from happening in the future."
Life-changing impact
It is in moments of crisis, an organization's existing presence can make a life-changing impact, says Mark Outerbridge, president of Mission Aviation Fellowship of Canada.
The technical mission has been operating in Kenya for more than 50 years, and has recently been flying members of other aid and development agencies into the region, as well as politicians from Canada, the United States, Great Britain and Europe.
"We're ramping up," he says, "but we're starting from an established base.
"It's really difficult to just 'pop in' in the middle of a crisis. For example, it takes a minimum of six months to get a licence to just fly into Kenya. In six months how many people would be beyond help?
"So, it's important to lay the groundwork. We saw that in Haiti, where we were able to be effective literally minutes after the earthquake."
Existing partnerships
Developing existing partnerships with other agencies also allows agencies to channel funds most effectively during a crisis, says Wayne deJong, director of disaster response and rehabilitation for the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC).
CRWRC is a member of Canadian Churches in Action (CCA), a coalition of 10 Canadian churches providing vital development aid, through their member projects.
This helps ensure that the money a church raises towards a crisis makes a practical, life-saving difference on the ground, even if their own denomination is not active in that specific village.
"The situation is escalating," deJong says, "and requires a large scale humanitarian response. We can have so much more of an impact by sharing our assets and capacities, with each of us specializing the in the areas were good at. Aiding where our partners already have projects and relationships, rather than everyone starting from scratch."
The CRWRC is currently providing food to tens of thousands in Kenya and Ethiopia, through partners on the ground, as well as providing water-aid to some areas and concentrated animal feed. They are also developing connections in Somalia.
All CCA partners are also members of Canadian Foodgrains Bank. DeJong says churches are also pooling and focusing their resources internationally through groups like the Act Alliance and Integral Alliance.
"Our partners are our strength," he says.
Coming alongside
Cbm Canada has been working in the refugee camps, alongside organizations like the Kenyan Red Cross, providing specific training in helping those with disabilities.
Beth Jost-Reimer, director of communications for cbm Canada says, "In an emergency situation we come alongside those who are experts in other areas - aid, food, shelter and water - and help them make sure those with disability aren't forgotten and overlooked."
Ed Epp, executive director of cbm Canada, adds this includes working to help make tent cities and food lines "accessible to all."
"Proper nutrition actually prevents life-long disabilities," he says. "If children aren't getting the proper nutrition there will be eye issues, there will be development issues, there will be bone density issues. We'll see seeing the effects of this famine for generations."
Many aid agencies are already developing plans for helping people rebuild their lives after the current crisis ends, including helping agriculturalists rebuild their farms and increasing livestock herds which are being depleted due to lack of available feed.
"I would just really call on Christians not to forget about the situation after it leaves the news," says Cain. "People are going to be suffering for a long time, and it takes a long time to recover from these things. We need to keep people in our thoughts and prayers and take action."
Dear Readers:
ChristianWeek relies on your generous support. please take a minute and donate to help give voice to stories that inform, encourage and inspire.
Donations of $20 or more will receive a charitable receipt.Thank you, from Christianweek.
