© UNHCR/Eugene Sibomana
“We have never seen drought like this, it has affected everyone. We have named it 'the unseen'.”
Ardo, internally displaced farmer in Ethiopia
The climate crisis, conflict and skyrocketing food prices are affecting households across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
The situation is particularly dire in Somalia, with UN experts warning that famine will take hold before the end of the year.
Refugees and displaced people are on the frontline of this crisis. Those living in camps have suffered drastic cuts to their food rations due to funding constraints. Now, these same camps are receiving thousands of new arrivals looking for food and water.
"Families do not know where their next meal will come from and are taking on huge debt, selling off what they can, or sending their children to work," said Clementine Nkweta-Salami, UNHCR's Regional Bureau Director.
UNHCR is providing nutrition supplements, shelter and cash assistance for hungry families.
When Ardo left her Ethiopian village and walked a gruelling 260 kilometres with her cattle, she hoped to find water.
But even at UNHCR's makeshift site for displaced people near Kebribeyah, there is little relief. Here, Ardo and her livestock are forced to go days without water. When the water truck arrives, she rushes to join the queue with her bucket.
The rains are expected to fail for a fifth year running, which will force many more people to leave their homes in search of food and water.
With your support, UNHCR can provide life-saving aid for drought-stricken communities. Please donate now to help us provide water, shelter, nutrition supplements and health care for hungry families.
UNHCR is providing clean water, shelter, emergency nutrition and other relief items for families arriving in camps. With boreholes failing, UNHCR is also trucking water to as many camps as possible, implementing hygiene and sanitation programs to prevent the spread of disease, and targeting pregnant and lactating mothers for nutrition support.
Your gift can help UNHCR truck water to drought-stricken communities, ensuring they have enough to drink, cook and wash.
Your gift can provide nutrition supplements for malnourished people, including children and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers.
Your gift can provide cash assistance to help displaced families buy food, fuel, medicine and other essentials.
Abdullahi, a 55-year-old farmer, had to leave his family to seek water and pasture for his livestock.
The majority of funds raised by Australia for UNHCR are directed to UNHCR’s emergency operations, providing the ready funds and resources to respond quickly and effectively in situations of crisis and disaster.