Save the Children Welcomes Government of Canada’s Funding Commitment for Hunger Crises in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen

March 17, 2017, Toronto… Save the Children welcomes today’s announcement that the Canadian government has committed $119.25 million to respond to the growing hunger crises in Somalia, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Yemen.

The children’s aid organization – operating in all four countries – has been calling for dedicated funding to meet the growing needs of children and families, as huge proportions of the countries’ populations have been hit by escalating hunger, and famine has already been declared in parts of South Sudan. In Somalia, more than 6.2 million people are in urgent need of assistance. In addition to a hunger crisis and lack of clean water, the country is also dealing with a decades-long conflict. The drought and lack of access to clean water are extremely dangerous and can cause sharp increases in existing disease outbreaks, as well as enable new epidemics altogether. Cholera has been reported in 39 districts in 12 regions since the beginning of 2017, and for children already weak from malnutrition, this is deadly. Over the past ten days Save the Children’s team on the ground have seen the humanitarian situation in Somalia change dramatically as more and more people are on the move in search of assistance and diseases are becoming increasingly prominent.

In Yemen, escalating conflict since 2015 has meant that more than 17 million people – 60% of the country’s population – require urgent humanitarian assistance.  This includes more than 13 million women and children who are in desperate need. Pockets of famine may already be present in the worst-affected areas, where food and aid distribution are severely limited.

“Malnutrition and regular access to food and clean water is an urgent concern in Yemen,” said Patricia Erb, President and CEO of Save the Children. “In Somalia, our window to avert famine is quickly closing. This funding coming now is vital and we thank the Canadian government for their continuing commitment to Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan, and Nigeria.”

“Save the Children has been working in these countries for decades and we have seen that alongside conflicts causing increasing challenges for food and aid to reach those who need it, droughts are increasing in frequency and intensity. This leaves people limited time in between to recover and build their resilience,” Erb continued. “In both cases children and women are bearing the heaviest burden in terms of the day to day struggle of finding water and food.”

Save the Children is calling on donors around the world to join Canada and provide funding now to address these crises now before they become a catastrophe.

ENDS