SILVER SPRING, MD (August 2, 2022)—The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is scaling up emergency operations to deliver food assistance and water to vulnerable communities on the verge of starvation within the Horn of Africa, including Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Uganda.
The Horn of Africa has been severely hit by the deteriorating socioeconomic conditions and trade interruptions caused by the Ukraine war. Ukraine and Russia supply 90 percent of the region’s grain, and the conflict has increased food, fuel, and fertilizer prices while decreasing wheat supplies. Before the conflict, Ukraine supplied about 6 million tons of agricultural goods to the area, and currently, only 15 percent of the products are exported due to the Black Sea port blockades. According to the United Nations, Africa is also experiencing one of the worst droughts in more than 40 years. Reports indicate nearly 20 million Africans and 49 million people in other regions of the world suffer from extreme food insecurity and rising malnutrition.
“Every day, millions of women, children, and individual people go hungry in Africa and more than 40 nations. As the global humanitarian arm of the Adventist Church, ADRA is committed to advocating for and supporting programs to reduce hunger and restore the dignity of less fortunate families and communities,” says Michael Kruger, president of ADRA International. “We join other non-profit organizations and private and public institutions to call attention to the life-threatening famine crisis. We encourage global leaders to find solutions for unlocking food exports and preventing climate-induced emergencies that cause food insecurity and water shortages."
ADRA International is working globally to aid millions of people affected by the food crisis. It is developing food security projects in collaboration with trusted partners and communities to prevent famine and build resilience. Projects include:
Drought-resistant farming practices
Seeds, supplies, and other resources
School lunch programs to feed children and keep them in school
Household and community gardens
Female farmer and cooperative group investment
Maternal and early-childhood nutrition education
Farmer field schools to improve methods and marketing
In Africa, the global humanitarian agency has launched emergency management plans to provide emergency food stations and essential services such as health and nutrition, livestock feeding, veterinary services, water, sanitation, and hygiene services to some of the poorest regions. ADRA prioritizes response in areas where malaria is rising and hundreds of thousands of children and breastfeeding women are acutely malnourished and require immediate treatment, including northern Kenya, central Somalia, and Karamoja, Uganda.
“Families are taking desperate measures to survive, with thousands leaving their homes in search of food, and water for drinking, cooking, and pasture; and that increases the risk of intercommunal conflict and exposes women and children to gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, and abuse,” says Mario Oliveira, director of emergency management for ADRA International. “All ADRA offices in the region are actively addressing the critical situation at the national and local level to protect families. We have a long-standing presence, have served the region for more than 30 years, and have already launched several food security programs, including cash assistance and drought mitigation projects to benefit those in need.”
Many drought-affected communities are also struggling to cope with the cumulative effects of other disturbances, such as floods, locust outbreaks, and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on livelihoods and revenue sources. According to the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs, hunger is causing acute malnutrition in around 8 million African children and restricting access to education. More than 2,000 schools have shut down in Ethiopia alone.
“Almost 2 million children are out of school, with nearly half of them being girls. As a result, ADRA has established school feeding programs to reduce dropout rates and enhance nutrition. To avoid the spread of waterborne illnesses among students and families, it has established water trucking stations in several villages for hygiene and sanitation. Additionally, ADRA has created health programs and facilities to serve displaced families and affected communities, launched agricultural initiatives to increase food access, and continues to collaborate with trusted partners and local authorities to find new solutions to the problem," says Peter Delhove, executive director for ADRA Africa. "ADRA is thankful to its allies, donors, and church volunteers for their vital and continuous support, which allows us to carry out our mission of preventing food shortages to save lives."
ADRA International is actively responding to food shortages in the Middle East, Asia, and other regions of the world. Visit ADRA.org for more information and to learn more about ADRA's hunger relief efforts and how to contribute to the global humanitarian agency’s mission.
About ADRA
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency is the international humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, serving in 118 countries. Its work empowers communities and changes lives around the globe by providing sustainable community development and disaster relief. ADRA’s purpose is to serve humanity so all may live as God intended.