MCC continues to expand its response to the drought and food crisis in East Africa by providing food vouchers and food-for-work programs as well as sending material resources to address practical needs of people living in refugee camps.
Through the East Africa Drought Relief Fund, the Government of Canada will complement the generosity of Canadians donating to organizations, such as MCC.
For every dollar individual Canadians contribute to registered Canadian charities responding to the East Africa drought, from July 6 until September 16, 2011, the Government of Canada will set aside one dollar for the Fund.
CIDA will allocate these funds to established Canadian and international humanitarian organizations to ensure an effective and timely response.
MCC is part of the Canadian Churches in Action which has applied for funds from CIDA.
Halima is among new arrivals in the Bur-Amino refugee camp near the town of Dollo Ado, Ethiopia. Halima and her family fled drought and violence in Mogadishu, Somalia. (MCC photo by Dan Leonard)
Somalis continue to flee food crisis, drought, conflict
Updated Jan. 20 , 2012
The population in the Dollo Ado refugee camps in southeast Ethiopia continues to grow as unprecedented numbers of Somalis flee the food crisis, drought and conflict in their own country. The moment refugees arrive in the camps, they look for water to drink. In partnership with the Lutheran World Federation in Ethiopia, MCC has launched a $1.1 million project to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene in two of the five camps in the Dollo Ado region.
About 80 per cent of the newly arrived Somali refugees in the camps are under the age of 18 and have not had the opportunity to get an education. This new MCC-supported project in the Dollo Ado camps includes income generation activities to assist Somali refugees, as well as Ethiopians living in surrounding communities.
To date, MCC has committed $5.5 million to support people affected by the drought and food crisis in East Africa. MCC is supporting people in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya through emergency food assistance, services to displaced families and host communities as well as long term food security projects.
MCC's response
(Updated Jan. 20, 2012)
Ethiopia
Emergency food assistance to over 83,000 people, including emergency food rations as well as supplementary food (famix) for pregnant women, nursing mothers and children
Cash and food-for-work during the hunger season. Community work includes tree planting, terracing, seed banks, promotion of self-help groups and more
Kenya
Emergency food-for-work projects for 4,740 families in semi-arid Kenya supporting sand dam communities
Emergency food assistance for 8,400 drought-affected families, including pastoralist families in northwest Kenya
Somalia
(Internally displaced people and refugees)
1. Dhobley near the Kenya border
Food vouchers
Water and non-food items
2. The Dollo Ado camps in southeast Ethiopia
Improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene.
Supporting income generation activities, such as gardening, poultry production, and soil conservation projects.
3. The Dadaab refugee camps in northeast Kenya
20,000 school kits, 600 blankets and 6,316 mosquito nets.
Improving quality of education and access to education.
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