It’s right we should support Ukraine – but let’s not ignore the humanitarian crisis in eastern Africa
Amid the international community’s response to the war in Ukraine, the worsening humanitarian crisis in East Africa and the Horn of Africa is at risk of being forgotten.
There is growing concern about the situation in the region – particularly Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia – as communities face the worst drought in forty years. As conditions kill animals and crops, normal life has become untenable for hundreds of thousands of people, who are forced make days-long journeys on foot to makeshift settlements where aid is available – albeit sporadically.
Successive failed rainy seasons have destroyed livelihoods, affecting at least 7.2 million people in Ethiopia and devastating 70 per cent of crops in Kenya. The situation in Somalia is increasingly dire; on top of drought is the fact that Somalia imports 100% of its wheat from Ukraine and Russia, and shipments of grain have already seen cancellations. The World Food Programme is warning that 330,000 children could die from starvation by the middle of this year. This is on top of the precarious political situation that has seen ongoing conflict devastate communities and cause 2.9 million people to be displaced within the country. Despite the fact that 7.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance (of a 16.8m total population), the UN and other agencies are struggling to secure the funds required to help those most in need.
For Windle, our primary aim is and always has been to ensure those who have experienced some of the most difficult of circumstances, living through conflict, are able to continue to access the tools they will need to thrive in the future. We know that education is a fundamental human right, and vital tool for the creation of just and stable societies. With 46% of Somalia’s population aged under 15, we must continue to work with the international community to find ways to support them, and particularly for them to continue their education.
A long history of support for Somali communities
Windle International is registered in Somalia and Somaliland and has a physical presence and on-going programming that supports basic and tertiary education, with specific projects in Puntland, Jubaland and Mogadishu. Since 2018, we have supported over 5,000 children, supplying educational materials, peer-counsellor training, professional development for teachers, mentorship, and re-usable facemasks and COVID-19 preventative information to learners and teachers. Windle implements Tertiary scholarship Program (DAFI) on behalf of UNHCR across Somalia and Somaliland. Click here to find out more about our programmes.
Ways to support communities in eastern Africa through this crisis
Throughout June, we’re asking people to take part in Walk for Refugees, a fundraising challenge that asks participants to walk, jog, run, swim, cycle, or otherwise move at least one mile every day in June.
Whether you can manage one mile a day, or ten, every step will help us to provide more educational opportunities for those whose lives have been disrupted.
It’s free to register, and you’ll receive a fundraising pack and Windle t-shirt (within the UK) in return for raising as much as you can to support people to fulfil their potential, and develop livelihoods and careers dedicated to creating more peaceful societies.
All the information about the campaign is on this page - https://www.windleinternational.org/walk-for-refugees.
Other ways to support the campaign:
Donate today here – https://www.windleinternational.org/donate-to-walk-for-refugees
Follow us on social media and share our tweets – https://twitter.com/windleintl