Famine has been officially declared by the UN in South Sudan, and the situation in Nigeria and Somalia is critical. The worst drought in 60 years is being considerably aggravated by armed conflicts in some regions. Swiss Solidarity and its partner organisations on the ground in the region are raising the alarm. The race against time has begun and if nothing is done immediately, millions of people could die. Swiss Solidarity is appealing for donations.
The figures associated with this silent disaster, which is being overlooked by institutional donors, speak volumes. In South Sudan, 4.9 million people depend on urgent humanitarian aid; in Somalia, they number 2.5 million, and in Nigeria 5.1 million. Swiss Solidarity and its partners are launching a joint appeal to mobilise all the powers in a position to provide emergency assistance.
Swiss Solidarity’s partner NGOs are hard at work, but the money they need in order to continue their activities and reach more affected communities is lacking. In South Sudan, where access to the most hard-hit areas is extremely challenging, EPER, Medair, Caritas, the Swiss Red Cross and Terre des hommes are already helping many thousands of people by delivering emergency medical care, food and water. In Somalia, where a cholera epidemic has been exacerbating the situation recently, Save the Children, Adra and Medair are hard at work. In Nigeria, Save the Children is currently supporting vast numbers of displaced persons thanks to a special contribution from Swiss Solidarity.
The Emergency Appeals Alliance, an international coalition of humanitarian funding agencies which includes Swiss Solidarity, is also launching an appeal today which extends to Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Canada and Japan. “We cannot neglect Africa: if we fail to act, the consequences will be unimaginable”, declared Swiss Solidarity and its sister organisations which together comprise over 50 national and international NGOs.
We ask the public to donate through postal account 10-15000-6, through our application Swiss Solidarity or online.
Swiss Solidarity, 1211 Geneva 8
