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Donate to support the Horn of Africa crisis

Registered Name: CANADIAN UNICEF COMMITTEE - COMITE UNICEF CANADA

Business No: 122680572RR0001

Donate to support the Horn of Africa crisis

Across the Horn of Africa, children are experiencing hunger, displacement, scarcity and food insecurity. UNICEF is working tirelessly to provide life-saving nutrition, safe water and essential healthcare to children and families across the region.

Impact of drought in the Horn of Africa

After five poor or failed rainy seasons in almost three years, more than 1.9 million children across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are experiencing severe malnutrition. The continuous drought has killed crops and livestock, and dried up water sources. Many families cannot afford the basic food they need to survive as food prices continue to remain high in local markets.

Ongoing disease outbreaks including cholera, measles and malaria have worsened because of the drought. Children who are malnourished are particularly vulnerable to diseases such as cholera and measles.

The extreme weather is forcing children and families to leave their homes in search of food and water. This has caused many children to fall sick, go hungry, miss school, be pressured into child labour and, in some areas, be forced into child marriage.

In Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, over 2.3 million people have been displaced due to drought, with 5.3 million living in affected areas.

How UNICEF is responding to the Horn of Africa crisis

UNICEF is working across the region to help children and families access life-saving nutrition, safe water and essential healthcare. In addition to being the world’s largest provider of ready-to-use therapeutic food, UNICEF is the leading UN agency in providing access to safe water, reliable sanitation and other life-saving services.

In 2022, UNICEF, with the help of our donors and partners:

- Reached more than 2 million children and women with essential life-saving healthcare services;

- Treated almost 1.3 million children under 5 for severe acute malnutrition;

- Provided safe water for almost 4.6 million people.

How your donation will help children in the Horn of Africa

Urgent action is needed to help children affected by the crisis in the Horn of Africa. With the support of our donors and partners, UNICEF is helping children return to school through community engagement and enrolment campaigns. We are also working to procure and supply ready-to-use therapeutic food, therapeutic milk, and medicines to health centres throughout the region.

Your donation today will support UNICEF’s ongoing programs and response by providing communities with:

- Treatment for severe acute malnutrition through therapeutic food;

- Access to safe water and sanitation supplies;

- Counselling on infant and young child feeding;

- Access to education;

- Essential healthcare services;

- Access to mental health and psychosocial support services.

In the event that UNICEF receives more funds than required to respond to this crisis, your gift will help support UNICEF’s work for children around the world, wherever the need is greatest.