The situation

Communities across East Africa are facing increasingly frequent and severe droughts, exacerbated by a changing climate and less rainfall in areas with already limited access to water and sanitation, education and healthcare.

Over 20 million people across the region are in need of urgent humanitarian aid.

See a slideshow about the crisis on RTE.ie

As well as food shortages, communities are critically short of water. Wells have dried up, animals are getting weaker and malnutrition is rising. In parts of northeast Uganda prices are 170% above average for millet, 140% for sorghum and 130% for maize. The cost of water is also rising – with a jerry can of water now costing up to three times its normal price.

People are forced to sell their assets – such as livestock – to pay for food and water, alleviating short term hunger but exacerbating long-term problems.

Oxfam's response

Oxfam is responding to the current crisis with animal health projects, cash for work, animal de-stocking, distributing agricultural tools and seeds, public health interventions, sanitation and water trucking, and lobbying and advocacy.

Oxfam Ireland is currently focusing its response in Tanzania and Uganda , where our partners are already at work to help mitigate the emergency. We need your help to raise €/£450,000 and support the communities most affected by the food crisis.

Donate to the East Africa Food Crisis appeal

Tanzania

Three years of below average rainfall have led to the deterioration of pasture and particularly affected pastoralist communities in northern regions such as Arusha, Ngorongoro and Kilimanjaro. We are working with local pastoralist groups and local organisations to provide food and cash for work: t he poor state of livestock means families have decreasing incomes, yet food prices are above the 5-year average. Our country team in Tanzania also supports development projects to reduce communities' vulnerability to the increasing droughts in the long-term.

Uganda

Oxfam provides water, sanitation and livelihoods support to returnees in Kitgum. Our response to the food crisis is focusing on cash provision and microfinance, and supporting agricultural production through improving access to seeds for the coming rainy season. In Karamoja, we also work with pastoralists on animal health and grain banking programmes. We are also lobbying and supporting local authorities to improve drought mitigation planning.

How can the public donate?

Donate online
Visit your local Oxfam Ireland shop.
Call us:
ROI: 1850 30 40 55
NI: 0800 0 30 40 55

Thank you very much for your support.

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