© 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
This crisis is threatening the lives of millions of refugees, internally displaced people and host communities across Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya, pushing them closer towards famine.
Water sources have dried up, crops and livestock have died, and people are being forced to leave their homes in search of water and food, or to flee escalating conflict over scarce resources. The crisis has been intensified by soaring food prices, driven by the war in Ukraine.
“People tell us they have not eaten for a couple of weeks. They are arriving in areas like the Somali region of Ethiopia where there is nothing. The response needs to be now. We don’t need to wait for famine to be declared.“ – Olga Sarrado, UN global spokesperson
UNHCR is providing families with safe shelter, cash assistance and other life-saving aid.
Ardo, a mother of four, walked a dangerous and exhausting 260 kilometres from her village in the Eastern Somali region of Ethiopia in search of water and pasture for her livestock.
"I can't count the number of people that were displaced with us," she said. "Nearly everyone in the village had left. It was such a long journey... our cattle suffered horribly. No one was willing to buy our livestock since they were extremely weak.”
Please donate now and help UNHCR provide safe shelter, cash assistance and life-saving aid to drought-stricken communities.
UNHCR is providing safe shelter for people who have fled their drought-stricken homes. We are also working with partners to distribute food, cash assistance, and life-saving supplies such as clean water and sanitation items.
Your gift can provide cash assistance to help families buy food, medicine and other essential items.
Your gift can provide safe shelter for displaced families.
Your gift can provide essential items like mattresses, solar lamps, blankets and kitchenware.
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.