World Toilet Day 2024: Everyone, everywhere deserves access to a toilet they can use safely and with dignity

In 2024, 3.5 billion people still live without access to safely managed sanitation. That's nearly half of humanity lacking one of the most basic human needs – a safe and private toilet. Even more concerning, an estimated 419 million people still practise open defecation, which not only increases the risk of infectious diseases, but also puts people—particularly women and girls—in unsafe and vulnerable situations.For the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, ensuring access to safe and dignified sanitation is not just about building toilets – it's about understanding and addressing the diverse water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs of all community members."Equitable access to WASH services and facilities is a human right," says Alexandra Machado, IFRC Senior Officer for WASH in Public Health. "Water, sanitation and hygiene are fundamental for life, and for the dignity, health and wellbeing of everyone -- regardless of their age, disability, social status, gender identity, ethnicity or sexual orientation."Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies worldwide are working to ensure that sanitation facilities are accessible, safe, and appropriate for everyone. On World Toilet Day, let’s look at a couple of examples.Making a Difference: Community-led sanitation in remote, underserved areas in ColombiaThe Colombian Red Cross has been active in promoting community-led sanitation improvements, particularly in remote and underserved areas including Tumaco, Buenaventura, Condoto, and Timbiqui. These projects included installing and upgrading sanitation units in schools, homes, and community centres, directly benefiting children and families in both urban and rural areas.Through workshops and hygiene campaigns, they’ve engaged community members to build and maintain latrines, which has significantly reduced the risk of water and sanitation related diseases. This effort is a collaborative approach that involves both local authorities and community representatives, enhancing ownership and sustainability.For example, in Santa Rita primary school, upgrades to the sanitation facilities now serve 140 students, fostering better hygiene at school which can be a catalyst for change in the wider community.Kenya: ‘Together we can end open defecation’Across Kenya, the Kenya Red Cross is supporting communities to adopt healthy WASH behaviours—including the building and using of latrines—to improve their hygiene and reduce their risks of infectious diseases.Through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3), Red Cross teams are partnering with the Kenyan government and WASH charities, such as Dig Deep, in a bid to end open defecation. Trained Red Cross volunteers regularly go out into their communities and educate people on why they should use latrines, how they can build their own simple pit latrines in their homes, and the importance of handwashing and other related hygiene practices to stay healthy.Volunteers’ consistent engagement is already starting to pay off, with widespread uptake of latrines and positive WASH behaviour change observed within many communities covered by CP3.“We used to have diarrheal diseases every now and then. And even we had cholera, which is fecal related. But when CP3 was introduced by the Red Cross, it has really assisted us in health education and even in tackling those diseases,” explains Lucina Bett, Sub-County Public Health Officer in Bomet County, Kenya.Find out more in this new video:The IFRC’s approach to WASHSuccessful WASH programmes are participatory and community-led. Our approach focuses on four key principles: dignity, access, participation, and safety. This means ensuring that:Everyone has access to sanitation facilities they can use with dignityFacilities are designed and built so that all people can use themCommunities are actively involved in decisions about their sanitation facilitiesPeople feel safe and comfortable using toilets, day and night"Vulnerability to violence is increased by a lack of safe and secure sanitation infrastructure," explains Peter Mamburi, IFRC Regional WASH Coordinator for Africa. “That's why our National Societies work closely with communities to ensure facilities are well-lit, private, and located in safe areas.”On World Toilet Day, we renew our commitment to leaving no one behind in sanitation. Because everyone, everywhere deserves access to a toilet they can use safely and with dignity.--Want to learn more about the IFRC’s work in water, sanitation and hygiene? Visit https://wash.ifrc.org or contact [email protected]

One Health Day 2024: Protecting humans, animals and the environment for a healthier world for all

Up to 75 per cent of emerging infectious diseases that affect human beings start in animals. These are called ‘zoonotic’ diseases, and they can spread to humans through direct contact with infected animals or through food, water or the environment. Recent high-profile diseases that have spread from animals to humans include COVID-19, Ebola and mpox.And when our environment is polluted or not looked after properly, it can cause health problems in both animals and humans. For example, there is evidence that global warming is leading to more favourable conditions for a specific type of mosquito which carries the dengue virus to reproduce and thrive, and is even pushing them to new areas and countries that have never experienced dengue before.Taking a ‘One Health’ approachOne Health is an approach to health care that recognizes these close links between human, animal and environmental health, and considers how they affect one another.It involves governments and organizations working in these different areas coming together to better prepare for and respond to health challenges, such as epidemics and pandemics.Through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3), many Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are taking a One Health approach to help communities prepare for, prevent and respond to disease outbreaks. And they’re supporting government health, agriculture and environmental departments—as well as key partners—to collaborate using a One Health approach, too.Let’s take a look at some examples.Training DRC’s next generation of nurses to be on the lookout for zoonotic diseasesIn the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the DRC Red Cross runs nursing schools across the country whose students go on to work in both the country’s public and private health system. Through the CP3 programme, the DRC Red Cross developed a special One Health learning module, which they piloted in two schools in Kinshasa and Maluku.Final year nursing students who took part in the pilot learned all about the intersection of human-animal-environmental health. They learned case definitions for different types of zoonotic diseases—from rabies to chikungunya—and how to effectively engage their communities on the risks and prevention measures for each disease. And they learned the principles of community-based surveillance (CBS), enabling them to quickly sound the alarm when unusual health events occur.The DRC government was so impressed with the pilot, they intend to roll the training out nationally to every nursing school in the country, believing that the sooner nurses learn about One Health and how to work effectively with animal and environmental counterparts, the better for the country’s health security.Knowledge is power: raising community awareness of environmental and animal health risksThere are lots of simple steps communities can take to reduce disease risks linked to animals and the environment. Through the CP3 programme, National Societies are engaging and motivating communities to take action.For example, in Kenya, Red Cross volunteers are teaching people how to recognize the signs of anthrax—a serious and potentially deadly infectious disease that can spread from animals, usually livestock, to humans. They’re encouraging communities to avoid handling any animals that die in unusual circumstances, report any cases immediately to volunteers or animal health authorities, and thoroughly disinfect contaminated areas. They’re also supporting vaccination efforts to make sure people know when, where and why to vaccinate their animals—making breakthroughs even within remote and vaccine-hesitant communities.And in Indonesia, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) runs regular clean-up events to help communities reduce the risks of dengue in their local environment. People come together to inspect and drain stagnant water reservoirs, properly cover and seal drinking water supplies, and sweep up litter and debris. These steps all minimize potential mosquito breeding sites. Teamed with personal protective measures, such as wearing mosquito repellent and using bed nets, these simple steps can greatly decrease the risk of catching dengue fever, and help families stay healthy.Bringing the government together for One Health action in GuineaThrough the CP3 programme, the Guinea Red Cross has been supporting the government at the national, regional and community level to adopt a One Health approach in order to strengthen the country’s health system.They’ve been facilitating regular meetings with government agencies and stakeholders working in human, animal and environmental health to discuss existing and emerging disease threats, plan vaccination campaigns for both human and animal populations, and collaborate on environmental management. For priority zoonotic diseases, such as rabies in particular, the Guinea Red Cross has been instrumental in informing and protecting communities, and rapidly alerting human and animal health authorities when a bite incident occurs.These are just a few of the many examples of how taking a One Health approach can lead to a healthier world. By working together to keep animals and our shared environment healthy, we can help humans to be healthier and safer, too.---The activities featured in this article are part of the multi-country Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3).  Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), CP3 has supported communities, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and other partners in seven countries since 2018 to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to disease threats. In October 2024, the programme is expanding to six new countries—Burundi, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Tajikistan, Thailand and Zambia—where it will continue to implement a One Health approach among National Societies, partners and governments.If you enjoyed this story and would like to learn more, sign up to the IFRC’s Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Newsletter 

What is mpox? Your questions answered.

Mpox is not the next global pandemic like COVID-19, according to public health officials. But the spread of mpox is alarming health experts as it spreads to more countries in East Africa. The mpox epidemic must be addressed quickly and effectively in order to avoid a larger global spread.With more than 17,000 suspected or confirmed cases and more than 500 deaths in at least 12 countries in Africa, the epidemic has already surpassed mpox outbreaks of previous years. But mpox can be contained through a combination of education, protection measures, prompt medical attention and coordinated action from local, national and international organizations. Here are some answers to common questions about mpox.What is mpox and how is it spread?Mpox is a viral illness caused by the mpox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus, which is related to smallpox but less severe. Previously known as ‘monkeypox’, the name waschanged to mpox by the WHO in late 2022 due to stigma associated with its former name.Mpox is not new. The first case in humans was recorded in 1970 and the disease is considered endemic in West and Central Africa. Historically there have been two broad variations or ‘clades’ of mpox:Clade 1: The oldest form of the virus, this variation typically causes more serious illness and death and is endemic in Central Africa. It is spread through contact with infected wild animals and through close human contact. Children seem to be more at risk.Clade 2: This clade caused a global mpox outbreak in 2022. Infections tend to be less severe. Reported cases since 2022 are mainly, but not exclusively, among men who have sex with men and their close contacts. This clade is endemic in West Africa. In September 2023, a new clade emerged – clade 1b – which has rapidly spread in adults through sexual contact and in children through household contact, and is one of the main reasons for mpox being declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.Clade 1b has already spread to countries with no previous reported cases of mpox: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. A high number of clade 1b cases in DRC and Burundi are among children, demonstrating the disease isn’t only spreading through sexual contact.What are the symptoms of mpox?The most common clinical symptoms are rash, discomfort, sore throat, fever, lymph node swelling, skin lesionsand lack of appetite.Many patients have experienced a single lesion or sore in their mouth or on their genitals, which could be mistaken for herpes, syphilis, staph infection, or acne.While mpox rash is typically more concentrated on the face, trunk, palms of the hands and soles of the feet, mouth or oral mucous lesions are found in up to 70 percent of cases.How deadly is mpox?“Most people fully recover from mpox, but some get very sick,”explains Gwen Eamer, IFRC Senior Officer for Public Health in Emergencies.“People who exhibit symptoms should see a doctor, as medical attention and treatment can drastically reduce the severity of the infection.”“Mpox can be a stigmatizing disease due to its physical appearance, but we should stay calm and be part of solution by working together to get the necessary resources and help to the people who need it most.”Who is most at risk of severe illness from mpox?People with suppressed immune systems, children, young adults who have not received a smallpox vaccine, and pregnant women are most at-risk of severe disease from mpox.How can I protect myself from mpox?To reduce your risks, stay informed and up-to-date on the signs and symptoms of mpox, how it spreads, and what to do if you get sick. You should also monitor the risk level in your area.Mpox can be prevented by avoiding close contact, including sexual contact, with infected people and animals.If you suspect you have mpox, seek medical attention as soon as possible.If you are confirmed to have mpox:Follow medical advice, including taking any prescribed medicationInform people you have been in contact with, or follow contact tracing guidelines from your country’s health authoritiesStay at home and avoid physical contact with other people until all scabs fall off and new skin forms underneathCover lesions and wear a well-fitting mask when around other peopleWatch this short Mpox explainer video on YouTube:How serious is this mpox outbreak?In mid-August, the WHO determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa is a ‘public health emergency of international concern’, requiring a coordinated international response.“That does not mean this is going to be a pandemic like COVID-19,”Eamer adds. “But this is a call to action to dedicate the resources we have around the world to stop this where it is now.”The situation is alarming with the rapid spread among newly at-risk populations, and to areas and countries that have never experienced mpox before.The case fatality rate is also higher compared to the 2022 pandemic and it could increase if more children and other high-risk populations are infected, but decreases with early access to supportive treatment and vaccination.What is the IFRC doing in response to the mpox outbreak?The IFRC is ramping up response efforts over the surge of mpox cases across Africa. The IFRC has extensive experience managing previous disease outbreaks, such as Ebola and COVID-19.With a vast network of more than 4 million volunteers and 14,000 staff across the continent, the IFRC network of Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies is providing critical support to governments, including community-based surveillance, risk communication and community engagement, and mental health services.The IFRC has also launched an CHF40 million regional emergency appeal to bolster mpox preparedness and response across Africa, with CHF 5 million provided through the IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF) as a loan to this regional emergency appeal. This funding will help us reach 30 million people in countries with an active outbreak, including DRC and neighbouring countries at high risk of the virus spreading further.In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country reporting the most mpox cases, how is the DRC Red Cross responding? In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Red Cross has been supporting the government response by sharing trusted and accurate health information with communities, conducting community-based surveillance to detect and report suspected cases, providing psychosocial support to affected people, and supporting with community-based health and hygiene promotion measures.Through theCommunity Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3)and theProgrammatic Partnershipthe DRC Red Cross (with technical support from IFRC and French Red Cross) has been building health resilience in communities across the country for many years, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to quickly detect, prevent and respond to disease outbreaks.USAID has also provided additional funding since April to support the DRC Red Cross response to mpox.What are Red Cross Societies in countries neighbouring DRC doing to control the outbreak?National Societies in neighbouring countries are now responding to their first cases of mpox and are rapidly scaling support to communities. They are working to help detect and respond to new cases to reduce illness and deaths and limit the spread of the virus.Burundi Red Cross is supporting their Ministry of Health to respond to the rapid increase in mpox cases with support from the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF).I’m from a Red Cross or Red Crescent National Society, what mpox resources can I use within my community or country?The IFRC’sEpidemic Control Toolkit provides guidance on evidence-based methods to prevent and control the spread of epidemics at the community-level, and guidance on appropriate referral and basic care for the sick.Guidance on mpox for community volunteers and for response managers has been recently updated and is available in multiple languages.In addition, here are some other helpful resources:IFRC: Community-based surveillance resourcesWHO: Clinical management and Infection Prevention Control for mpox (interim guidelines, June 2022)Centers for Disease Control (CDC): Reducing stigma in mpox communication and community engagementIFRC: Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) Toolkit

IFRC announces CHF 40 million appeal as Africa faces surge in mpox cases

Kinshasa/Nairobi/Geneva – 23 August 2024 – The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an CHF40 million regional emergency appeal to bolster mpox preparedness and response across Africa, with CHF 5 million provided through the IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF) as a loan to this regional emergency appeal.This funding will help us reach 30 million people in countries with an active outbreak, including DRC and neighbouring countries at high risk of the virus spreading further.Mohammed Omer Mukhier, IFRC Regional Director says:“It’s a serious situation that could potentially spread like wildfire across the continent and beyond, if we don’t act fast. We have already ramped up our mpox response in DRC which is bearing the brunt of this mpox outbreak putting its neighbours at high risk.”The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become the epicentre of a rapidly escalating mpox epidemic. The virus is now in all 26 provinces of the DRC, with different variants (‘clades’) being spread simultaneously. Alarmingly, cross-border transmission from the DRC’s eastern regions, particularly North and South Kivu, is rising, affecting non-endemic countries like Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya. Meanwhile, outbreaks in endemic countries such as Nigeria, Central African Republic, South Africa and Cote d’Ivoire are re-emerging or escalating. This marks the first time that sustained transmission of multiple variants is being reported concurrently both endemic and non-endemic regions across Africa.Dr Irene Kiiza, IFRC, Manager - Africa, Health and Care in Disaster and Climate Crises says:“We are quickly deploying available resources to focus on hotspots like DRC and Burundi, but we need more to ensure the virus is contained. Our priority is to curb the spread of the virus through community-based surveillance, contact tracing, mental health support and targeted interventions partnering with local health authorities and communities.”In response to this crisis, the DRC Red Cross has intensified its efforts. Leveraging skills and strategies honed through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3) with USAID and the Programmatic Partnership with the European Union, DRC Red Cross volunteers are actively engaged in health information dissemination, community-based surveillance, and the provision of psychosocial support. USAID also provided additional funding since April 2024 to support the DRC Red Cross response to mpox in Equateur, one of the hardest hit provinces.Mercy Laker, IFRC Head of Country Cluster Delegation, Kinshasa:“We have been working in the mpox response as well as other disease outbreaks such as Ebola and COVID-19. Our team, including staff and volunteers, are on the ground, helping keep communities safe during this tough time. The funding from the appeal will help boost our operations in DRC and Burundi.”In Burundi, the government has a comprehensive response plan to tackle the ongoing health crisis. With more than 100 active cases, the Burundi MOH is focused on boosting the capacity of health facilities and laboratories nationwide, while the Burundi Red Cross is providing direct support to affected communities to ensure they are aware of the risks and can access the care available.Through this appeal, the IFRC will strengthen African National Societies’ capabilities to fulfil their auxiliary role and support national governments in enhancing disease surveillance, providing community health education, providing care and support for mpox patients - and delivering psychosocial support. The response will be tiered, with specific interventions tailored to the level of outbreak in each country including heightened risk case importation, imported cases and established mpox transmission.More information There is more on the Emergency Appeal on this page.  To request an interview, contact: [email protected]  In Geneva: Tommaso Della Longa: +41 79 708 43 67 Andrew Thomas: +41 76 367 65 87 In Nairobi: Susan Nzisa Mbalu: +254 733 827 654In Goma:Gracia Dunia: +243 813 274 794

International Youth Day: Kenyan school kids sing, act and dance in vibrant epidemic preparedness competition

“People of Tharaka, listen, we tell you!”“Diseases have no boundaries. They can infect anyone!”“They can infect teachers, pupils, farmers and the entire community!”“We need to be aware of diseases like COVID-19! Cholera! Measles! Kalazaar! And how we can prevent them!”These are some of the lyrics chanted loudly and proudly by children from Maragwa primary school in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya as they competed in theChanuka Challenge last month. They reflect the passion and knowledge of kids determined to keep their communities safe from infectious diseases.What was the Chanuka Challenge all about?Chanuka is a Swahili word which roughly translates as ‘be smart!’ Organized by the Kenya Red Cross, the challenge ran throughout July across four different counties in Kenya. 61 primary and secondary schools participated, whose pupils sang, acted, danced and performed skits to raise awareness about different diseases and win prizes.More than 800 school children took part in the challenge – teaming up to present everything from poems about polio to role plays about rabies – which were judged on creativity, confidence, working together, and accuracy of their health information.As well as the main prize for top school performance, individual prizes were also up for grabs in the form of health quizzes and interactive games.By turning complex health topics into accessible and engaging performances, pupils practised how to effectively communicate about disease signs and symptoms, as well as prevention and control measures, to their peers and wider community—as well as developing valuable skills in public speaking, creative expression and teamwork.School Health Clubs supporting healthier communitiesThe pupils who took part in the Chanuka Challenge are all members of School Health Clubs set up by the Kenya Red Cross as part of theCommunity Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3) funded by USAID.The clubs help primary and secondary school pupils learn how to protect themselves from various disease threats, stay healthy, and spread their knowledge to their fellow pupils, families, and wider communities.They usually meet on a weekly basis, covering topics such as proper handwashing, the importance of human and animal vaccination, and how to recognize signs of different diseases.Why involve school children in preparing for epidemics and pandemics?“It is important to learn about health because it helps us to prevent diseases against our bodies and also to prevent diseases against the communities,” explains Ann Gakii, pupil and secretary of the Rwatha School Health Club in Tharaka Nithi.Brimming with passion, energy, and a desire to support their families and communities, school pupils like Ann can play a really valuable role in preparing for and preventing disease outbreaks.“When given the right knowledge, encouragement and support, school pupils can be powerful agents of change within their communities. We’ve seen health club members take their new knowledge to their communities and support them to adopt healthier behaviours that are keeping them safe from disease threats,”explains Naomi Ngaruiya,CP3 Programme Coordinator with Kenya Red Cross.“We’re delighted to support so many children across Kenya through School Health Clubs and it was a complete joy to see their enthusiasm and creativity throughout the Chanuka Challenge. We hope to run an even bigger and better version of the event in future!”--The activities featured in this article are part of the multi-country Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3). Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), CP3 supports communities, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and other partners to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to disease threats.If you enjoyed this story and would like to learn more, sign up to the IFRC’s Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Newsletteror visit theKenya Red Cross website.

Kenya: How a village Elder and his horn are keeping people safe from diseases

Some people use WhatsApp. Others prefer a phone call. But in Kipajit village, when you need to communicate with lots of people quickly in a crisis, there’s only one option: the Kigondit.A traditional instrument made from a cow’s horn, the Kigondit has been used for generations by Kipsigis communities in Bomet County to summon people for important meetings and to warn them of imminent danger. And in Kipajit, it’s village Elder, Augustine Langat, who has the power and privilege of blowing the Kigondit to serve his community.Through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3), Kenya Red Cross is collaborating with village Elders like Augustine, and other influential community figures, to keep people healthy and safe from diseases.When Augustine summons his village for a gathering, Community Health Promoters—trained by Kenya Red Cross through the CP3 programme—and animal health workers arrive to share important messages about different disease threats, any active outbreaks, and the ways people can reduce their risks.“When I blow the traditional horn, it reaches many people, especially those who might not have been reached through one-on-one interaction. I alert the people so that we can meet in a central place for us to be enlightened by the veterinary and human health practitioners,” explains Augustine.Village Elders are highly respected and trusted figures within their communities and are looked up to for advice and wisdom. So when villagers hear the call of the Kigondit, they come.“There are different ways of blowing the horn for different occasions – you can call them different ringtones. There’s a way to call for a general meeting, and a different noise when you want to alert the community to something dangerous,” explains Purity Kosgei, CP3 Project Officer for Bomet County.“Augustine is able to mobilize the community very quickly, for example when a cow dies from anthrax. It is prudent to call everyone in the village to help tell them what is happening, what the preventative measure are, and how to respond,” she adds.In the case of anthrax, a serious and potentially deadly infectious disease that can spread from animals to humans, Elders are also now leading the way in shifting cultural norms and behaviours that can put people’s lives at risk.For example, in Augustine’s community there’s an ancient belief that when an animal dies, burying the carcass whole will bring a curse on the people and stop them from rearing more animals. It’s therefore customary to cut open the animal and remove its innards prior to burying. Yet if the animal has died from anthrax, doing so can expose people to the disease—which can kill if left untreated.“We’ve seen real behaviour change. The Elders were the ones from the onset who were against disposal of animal carcasses as a whole. But now they understand the risks to people’s health and use their platform to encourage proper burial of animals, to encourage animal vaccination and to make sure people report suspicious animal deaths” explains Monica Okwanyi, former CP3 Project Officer for Bomet County.“Elders are the most trusted community figures and by engaging them we enhance ownership because community members want to know ‘what are our Elders saying? Is it approved by our Elders?’. It’s important to be culturally sensitive. We engage with them respectfully so they don’t feel like we are just imposing something on them. They are happy to learn powerful knowledge they can carry forward through generations,” adds Monica.With epidemics spreading further and faster than ever before around the world, equipping communities with the knowledge and skills to detect, alert, and respond to disease threats has never been more important.Through the CP3 programme, we’ve seen time and time again that well-informed communities can be the first line of defence against epidemics—reducing their spread and even stopping them in their tracks.Augustine puts it best:“I’m excited with the work that I do because when you educate the community, you are protecting their lives. When the area chief tells me to call the people, I do it wholeheartedly because I love it when people get the correct health messages.”“It’s good when the community is alerted. They respond so as to ultimately save lives.”--The activities featured in this article are part of the multi-country Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3). Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), CP3 supports communities, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and other partners to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to disease threats.If you enjoyed this story and would like to learn more, sign up to the IFRC’s Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Newsletter or visit the Kenya Red Cross website.

Kenya: Floods

‘No such thing as a simple disaster’: Partnership to tackle complex food crises by addressing hunger on multiple fronts

Along the Niger River in Mali, Red Cross volunteers are helping local communities find new sources of water during dry spells when the river dries up and water for crops and livestock all but disappears.“There is water in the river only for three months,” said Nouhoum Maiga, Secretary General of the Mali Red Cross. “And the people there, most of them, rely on that water for their cattle.”As part of a pilot programme, volunteers help the communities dig wells and install solar-powered pumps that provide a continual source of water.In addition, the Red Cross collaborates with meteorological and hydrological services to get ahead of future problems – extreme heat, unpredicted dry spells or flash floods – with community-based early warning systems.As a result, says Maiga, local farmers have been able to quadruple their harvests. “Instead of just doing a harvest for one season they have been able to harvest four times,” he said.A complementary partnershipThis is exactly the kind of forward-looking, multi-layered response to complex challenges that will be strengthened through a renewed partnership signedon 29 May, 2024 between the FAO and the IFRC.The FAO and IFRC partnership aims to build on the two organizations’ complementary mandates and strengths at the local and international level in order to improve the quality, reach, impact and sustainability of food security and agricultural livelihoods programming. So far, the renewed partnership has been initiated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, South Sudan and Uganda.The partnership is born from a growing understanding that durable solutions to today’s complex and long-lasting humanitarian crises require ever deeper cooperation among multiple partners from the community to the global level.“There is no such thing anymore as a simple disaster,” said Caroline Holt, the IFRC Director of Disasters, Climate, and Crises, speaking recently at an FAO-IFRC Global Dialogue on Localization held on 27 March, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland . “Issues such as food insecurity are intimately connected to lack of access to safe water or reliable energy sources. All of these issues impact one another and so the solutions need to be equally integrated.”Solutions to food insecurity must also address the complex factors that impact local food production and they will require new and innovative resourcing strategies. The partnership between the IFRC and FAO, therefore, will also serve as a base for wider investment by other partners interested in supporting local innovation on food security and livelihoods.“Two-thirds of people experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity depend on agriculture as their main source of livelihood, yet only four per cent of humanitarian assistancegoes towards emergency agriculture assistance,” Dominique Burgeon, Director of the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva, noted during the FAO-IFRC Global Dialogue on Localization.“Food aid alone is not enough to address acute food insecurity without the support and protection of livelihoods, many of which are based in local agriculture”.Mali serves as a good example. In Mali, FAO and the Mali Red Cross are collaborating on cash transfers, supplies for farm and food production, and cooking demonstrations aimed at achieving good nutritional balance, among other things.“We work with those communities, to empower them to be able to provide for themselves even in the midst of ongoing conflict,” added Maiga, who also participated in the FAO-IFRC Global Dialogue on Localization.The case of Mali also highlights the critical role that IFRC member National Societies play in addressing complex, long-lasting crises. In Mali, the Red Cross works amid an array of challenges: unpredictable and extreme weather patterns exacerbated by climate change, instability and insecurity, loss of traditional livelihoods and food sources, and massive displacement of entire communities. Meanwhile, in many parts of the country,most international organizations have left due to a lack of security.“TheRed Cross has remained in the communities impacted by these crises ,” Maiga noted. “Why? Because the Red Cross is a community-based organization. Our 8,000 volunteers are part of the communities where they work.”The critical need for early actionSimilar challenges exist in many countries. With one of the largest refugee populations in the world, Uganda is experiencing numerous, serious climate challenges, as weather patterns become more unpredictable. In some areas, entire communities have been washed away in flash floods.In this case, collaboration between FAO and the Ugandan Red Cross has helped communities withstand heavy rains caused in part by the most recent El Niño Phenomena from September to December 2023.With funding from FAO, the Ugandan Red Cross took actions in ten districts of Uganda in anticipation of coming rains: disseminating early warning information, mapping flood-prone areas, and overseeing cash-for-work activities in which local people cleaned water canals or removed silt from tanks that help contain excess water.In other cases, the cash-for-work projects involved helping local communitiessafely manage crops to reduce loss once they have been harvested. Crops can be ruined if storage facilities are damaged by flooding or if the systems needed to store, transport and distribute them are disrupted.“It's clear that the increasing frequency, magnitude, and intensity of disasters are not only affecting human lives, livelihoods and property but also evolve into epidemics requiring strong investment in community level preparedness and response,” said Ugandan Red Cross Secretary General Robert Kwesiga.

Dr. Asha Mohammed: From dentist to humanitarian leader, her passion and leadership now focused on Africa’s biggest challenges

Dr. Asha Mohammed began her career as a dentist in low-income communities in Kenya. Her passion for helping others and her evident leadership skills led her to key roles battling HiV/AIDS and, eventually, to the role of Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross. She now serves as IFRC’s Permanent Representative to the African Union and International Organizations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From there, she’s taking on climate change, a massive regional hunger crisis, and outbreaks of infectious diseases, among other challenges. In this episode, she talks about the solutions to those challenges. And what it was like being a pioneering woman leader in public health. “When I mentor young women, I tell them, ‘You can be what you want to be. It's really about understanding that you have these different roles to play and that you can find the right balance.”

Study: Climate change made the dangerous humid heatwave in West Africa 10 times more likely

Human-caused climate change made the humid heatwave in southern West Africa during February ten times more likely, according toa rapid analysis by an international team of leading climate scientists from theWorld Weather Attribution group.The study also found that if humans do not rapidly move away from fossil fuels, causing global warming to rise to 2°C above preindustrial levels, West Africa will experience similar heatwaves about once every two years. Developing heat action plans will help protect vulnerable people from dangerous heatwaves in West Africa, according to the researchers (which includes researches from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Centre).In February, West Africa was hit by an unusually intense humid heatwave with temperatures not normally seen until March or April. The most severe heat occured from February 11-15 with temperatures above 40°C.In Nigeria, doctors reported an increase in patients presenting for heat-related illness, people complained of poor sleep due to hot nights and the national meteorological agency issued several warnings about the heat.In Ghana, the national meteorological agency also warned people to prepare for dangerous temperatures. The heat occurred during the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament in Côte d'Ivoire.“Many people do not appreciate the dangers of heat – unlike storms, fires or droughts, heatwaves don’t leave an evident trail of destruction," said Maja Vahlberg, risk consultant at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, which contributed to the research. “However, heatwaves are ‘silent killers.’ They can be incredibly deadly for the elderly, people with existing health conditions and outdoor workers."“Humidity makes a massive difference to the human experience of heat. While the average air temperature across West Africa during mid-February was about 36°C, the humidity meant it would have felt like 50°C.“Countries across Africa, and the world, need to prepare for heat. Simple measures like awareness campaigns and warning systems can save thousands of lives during heatwaves.”Due to the hot and humid conditions, additional ‘cooling breaks’ were taken during the matches so players could rehydrate. February this year was the hottest February on record globally and the ninth consecutive month in a row that a hottest month record was broken.Climate change, caused by burning fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal, and deforestation, has made heatwaves more frequent, longer and hotter around the world. To quantify the effect of climate change on the hot and humid temperatures in West Africa, scientists analysed observed weather data and climate models to compare how the event has changed between today’s climate, with approximately 1.2°C of global warming, and the cooler pre-industrial climate, using peer-reviewed methods.For more information, please visit the World Weather Attribution webpage.

World Radio Day: How radio helps keep communities healthy and safe

Though we’re living in an increasingly digital world, radio remains an important source of information, entertainment, and connection in countries across the globe.This is especially true among rural communities, for whom radio is often the most trusted—or sometimes only—source of news and information for miles around.Imagine you’re living in one of these communities, far from the nearest health centre. You notice people are falling sick and you don’t know why. Seeking answers, you tune into your local radio station.The presenter is talking about the ‘mystery illness’ in a panicked way, saying how gruesome the symptoms are, how many people have died, and how you should avoid infected people at all costs. He’s heard the illness could be some kind of curse, and that apparently drinking salty water can protect you.Hearing this report, and with no other sources to turn to, you’d probably feel scared and unsure of what to do.But imagine you tuned in and heard a totally different show. The presenter calmly offers practical information about the disease—its name, symptoms, how it spreads, and measures you can take to protect yourself. He interviews a local doctor you know and trust who responds to common questions and concerns.You’d feel reassured and have the information you need to keep you and your family safe.In several countries, the IFRC and our National Societies are partnering with local media to do exactly this: provide life-saving information before, during, and after health outbreaks.As part of the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3), we’ve been working with the charity BBC Media Action to train journalists and Red Cross Societies from seven countries in Lifeline Programming: special media programming that provides accurate, practical, and timely information in a health or humanitarian crisis.National Societies regularly partner with media outlets to broadcast helpful information that keeps communities healthy and safe from a wide range of diseases. Let’s look at some examples.KenyaIn Bomet and Tharaka Nithi counties, Kenya Red Cross teams up with local radio stations and county health services, reaching hundreds of thousands of people with useful health messages on how to prevent diseases such as anthrax, rabies and cholera.Information is shared in simple language. And listeners can call in to ask questions or suggest health topics for discussion.“At first, media was known for reporting two things, maybe: politics, and bad things that have happened in society. But the Red Cross helped us […] use the media in educating the people about disease,” explains Sylvester Rono, a journalist with Kass FM trained in Lifeline programming.“I am now proud to say that this has really helped our communities. Our people are now appreciating why we should vaccinate our pets, why we should go to the hospital when we have a bite, why we should report any [health] incident, and when you see any sign of diseases, be it rabies, be it anthrax, be it cholera […] the importance of reporting it earlier,” he adds.CameroonIn late 2021, a cholera outbreak threatened the lives of communities in the North region of Cameroon—a rural part of the country where communities are widely dispersed.As part of its response, the Cameroon Red Cross teamed up with local radio stations—launching a series of community radio programmes to share information on how people could protect themselves, what symptoms to look out for, and where to access help if they fell sick.Themes for the programmes were selected in partnership with community leaders. And after the shows broadcast, Red Cross volunteers headed out into their communities to reinforce the messages shared on air through door-to-door visits.“The radio programme is very good, because it has given me practical information. I had a cholera case in my family, but based on the measures I heard on the radio, I was able to save my sister’s child who was sick,” explained Talaga Joseph, a listener who called into FM Bénoué—one of the participating radio stations.Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)In DRC, harmful rumours and misinformation about COVID-19 and other diseases have spread across the country in recent years. For example, some people believed the COVID-19 vaccine was a source of income for the government and had no benefit to society, while others believed the measles vaccine was less effective than traditional remedies involving cassava leaves.To address these rumours, DRC Red Cross volunteers went door-to-door to collect community feedback and record common myths and misconceptions. After analysing the feedback, DRC Red Cross staff took to the airwaves—launching interactive radio shows to directly address and debunk health misinformation and provide trusted advice.For example, in Kongo Central province, the DRC Red Cross partners with Radio Bangu to produce a show called ‘Red Cross School’. Listeners call in to check information on different diseases, ask questions, and discover what support they can access from the Red Cross.“The collaboration with the Red Cross is very good and has enabled listeners to learn more about its activities and how they can prevent different illnesses and epidemics. The Red Cross broadcasts are so popular they have increased our overall number of listeners in the area we cover,” says Rigobert Malalako, Station Manager at Radio Bangu.--The activities with local radio featured in this article are just a few examples of media partnerships developed through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3).Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), CP3 supports communities, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and other partners to prevent, detect and respond to disease threats.If you enjoyed this story and would like to learn more, sign up to the IFRC’s Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Newsletter.You can also access the following resources:BBC Media Action’s Guide for the media on communicating in public health emergencies (available in multiple languages)BBC Media Action’s Lifeline programming websiteIFRC Epidemic Control Toolkit

Africa's hunger crisis intensifies: IFRC warns against crisis fatigue

Geneva/Nairobi, 07 December 2023: In response to the growing hunger crisis across sub-Saharan Africa, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is amplifying its call to action amidst growing concerns of crisis fatigue. To this end, the IFRC has revised its funding appeal to 318 million Swiss Francs, now aiming to reach 18 countries. More than a year has passed since the initial launch of the Africa hunger crisis appeal, yet the needs continue to outpace support received. Originally set at 215 million Swiss Francs for 16 countries, only 59 million Swiss Francs has been raised. This humanitarian crisis, intensified by recurring droughts, El Niño-induced floods, conflicts and economic downturns, demands an immediate response to prevent widespread suffering, loss of lives and livelihoods. Around 157 million people in 35 countries across sub-Saharan Africa face acute food insecurity. Despite early warnings from African Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, more funding and resources are needed. The Horn of Africa has been particularly hard-hit, enduring its longest dry spell on record with five consecutive dry seasons. In contrast, regions like eastern Kenya, parts of South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Tanzania experienced heavier than usual rains during the October-December season, leading to flooding that further aggravated the situation for those already facing acute food insecurity. This mix of extreme weather conditions, along with ongoing conflicts, has led to varied harvest outcomes across the continent. Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers are witnessing heart-wrenching conditions where many, including women and children, survive on less than one meal a day. Mohamed Omer Mukhier, Regional Director for Africa, emphasized the continued urgency: “In the past year, the dire need for resources in tackling the current hunger crisis has been evident with millions of people deprived of water, food and health services. While this crisis has intensified, it has been largely overshadowed by more visible crises over the past year. Considering its magnitude across the continent, we urgently call for expanded support to pursue our collective lifesaving and life-sustaining mobilization.” These countries are currently at the heart of the hunger crisis: Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. African Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies have been instrumental in providing life-saving assistance to millions affected by this crisis. So far, they have reached 1.53 million people. Most of the aid provided has been water and sanitation services, reaching over 1.2 million people. Additionally, over 725,000 people received cash assistance and over 450,000 received health and nutrition support. This underscores the IFRC's commitment to transitioning from immediate relief to sustainable, long-term resilience strategies in the region. The revised appeal will focus on improving agricultural practices, fostering peace and stability and creating economic opportunities. More information: For more details, visit the Africa Hunger Crisis appeal page. For audio-visual material, visit the IFRC newsroom. To request an interview, contact: [email protected] In Nairobi: Anne Macharia: +254 720 787 764 In Geneva: Tommaso Della Longa: +41 79 708 43 67 Mrinalini Santhanam: +41 76 381 50 06

IFRC launches CHF 18 million appeal for El Niño-induced flood relief in Kenya 

Nairobi/Geneva, 24November2023—The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) havelaunched an emergency appeal for 18 million Swiss Francs.This fund is essential in supporting the response to the El Niño-enhanced floodsthat continue to impactKenya. Mohamed Babiker,IFRCHead of Delegation, Nairobi Country Cluster for Somaliaand Kenya, said: “The El Niño floods have triggereda major humanitarian crisis that is affecting millions of people.We are workingclosely with the Kenya Red Cross Society to provideemergency relief to those affected by the floods.” Since early November, Kenya has faced severe flooding, leading to loss of lives, property damage, and a burgeoning humanitarian crisis.The heavy rains in the region have also affected countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania, necessitatinga widescale humanitarian response. Dr. Ahmed Idris, Secretary General,Kenya Red Cross Society,said: “We are dealing with a situation where entire communitieshave either been submerged or marooned. Roads and other critical infrastructure have been cut off, disruptingthedelivery of vital supplies. We need tourgentlyprovidefood, clean waterand medical supplies to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.” The Kenya Red Cross Society’s response includes emergency shelter, psychosocial support, early warning dissemination, and supplying food and water to over 10,000 households. An initialIFRC allocation of CHF 749,939 has supported these efforts. The new Emergency Appeal will enable scaling up of life-saving activities, focusing on shelter, livelihoods, health, water, sanitation, and nutrition. The ongoing rains pose a continued threat, highlighting the need to augment the Kenya Floods Emergency Appeal efforts. More information: For more details, visittheKenya Red Cross Societywebsite andtheIFRC appeal donation page. To request an interview, please contact: [email protected] In Nairobi: Peter Abwao, Kenya Red Cross Society:+254 711590911 Anne Macharia,IFRC:+254720 787 764 Timothy Maina, IFRC: +254110 848 161 In Geneva: Tommaso Della Longa: +41 79 708 43 67 Mrinalini Santhanam: +41 76 381 50 06

Kenya: Floods

Recent severe flooding in Kenya, caused by unusually active El Niño rains, has killed at least 71 people and displaced many thousands of people. Households have been washed away or are marooned. Farmland has been submerged and livestock drowned.Some of the hardest hit areas have been the semi-arid lands where pastoralism is the economic driver. These areas are still recovering from the worst drought in 40 years. The IFRC and its membership seek CHF 24 million (CHF 12 million of which is expected to be raised by the IFRC Secretariat) to reach 50,000 households with life-saving assistance.

Risk reduction against water-borne diseases bears fruit in rural Kenya

In the last two years, villages like Cheplewa in the southewestern county of Bomet have witnessed a significant increase in diseases such as Cholera and Hepatitis B — two diseases triggered by consumption of contaminated water. To ensure comprehensive protection of water sources, the Kenya Red Cross and the IFRC have mobilized to educate communities on measures they can take to protect natural springs from contamination and then ensure that they remain clean. Springs serve as the main source of water in this region but it’s common practice for animals to be taken to the springs to drink. Meanwhile, residents also come to the spring and scoop the same water for domestic use. Chebett, a community health worker trained by the Kenya Red Cross, believes the lack of springs in neighboring villages accelerated the increase in Cholera cases. In the previous months, those villages also experienced an outbreak of Hepatitis B. A massive checkup ”At the time of screening and sensitizing communities about Covid-19, and about the importance of getting vaccinated, some people were diagnosed with Hepatitis B”, Chebett said. “We reported this to the Ministry of Health and they called for a massive checkup”. That checkup included community-wide screenings for Hepatitus B as well as continued sensitization on sanitation practices. Those found to be negative for Hepatitus B were vaccinated, while positive cases were given drug treatments. After several months, medical personnel from the Cheplewa dispensary embarked on another massive screening and vaccination, with the aim of eradicating the Hepatitis B virus in the area. But complete eradication became difficult because the Hepatitis B vaccine is given in two doses. Some community members took the first dose, but did not return. It was not long before symptoms — such as non-stop talking or speaking incoherently — began to appear. Mass screening is still ongoing to hasten the identification of new cases. The efforts come as part of IFRC’s focus on working with communities to build their resilience and support to break the cycle of disaster impacts amidst the changing climate. In the Horn of Africa, the alternating weather patterns have continued to cause drought and flooding, impacting water sources, livelihoods and food security. All these factors leave people more vulnerable to infectious diseases. Erasing fear by engaging communities Chebett said that when speaking with community members, she tells them that springs must be protected and the area kept clean. To avoid contamination of the water, communities were encouraged to build underground water tanks to collect spring water. Water taps were then installed next to these tanks at a distance of 10 meters. Community members were involved in the construction of the underground tanks. Though the spring water flowing through the taps is now clean, families were encouraged to boil the water used for drinking and cooking and store it in clean containers, and to keep the containers closed. Water pans for animals to drink were also created. Improved hygiene through education Because this area is between two hills, rainwater flowing down the hills also carries debris. Those who drink the water before boiling it could suffer from Acute Water Diarrhhoea. This led some families and community members to claim that the water had been poisoned and so they stopped drinking water altogether. But, after receiving information from community health workers who were trained by the Kenya Red Cross, they started boiling water used for drinking and cooking, and washing their hands before and after eating. The hygiene standards have also generally improved. Every household was encouraged to build a toilet, and to wash their hands after using the toilet. “The education we give is bearing fruit,” Chebett said of the community engagement efforts, which were made possible through support by USAID funded Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness (CP3) programme.

IFRC Secretary General Keynote speech at the 10th Pan African Conference in Nairobi

Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, colleagues and friends, I’m so pleased to be here in vibrant Nairobi. You have always extended such warmth and enthusiasm every time I visit Africa. Thank you for your unmatched hospitality. I am grateful to Kenya Red Cross for hosting Pan African conference of the IFRC. IFRC Vice President Elder Bolaji Akpan Anani, Chair of the PAC. Governor Korir of the Kenya Red Cross. Governing Board members, Commission and Committee chairs of the IFRC, of the Standing Commission, Africa governance group, Vice President of ICRC (continuing our proud history to invite ICRC to IFRC statutory meetings because we can be successful when we work together as a Movement), National Society and youth leaders, staff and volunteers and the entire IFRC secretariat team. I want to particularly recognize the Africa team led by our Regional Director Mohammed Mukhier for working tirelessly to support the organization of the conference. I pay tribute to all of you for your immense contributions to the IFRC network, today and always. Your dedication to the communities we serve is unparalleled, especially through the recent growing complex crises across Africa. Let me join in solidarity with Morocco and Libya as they work hard to recover from two terrible disasters. As we gather here today, I am struck by the rich tapestry of Africa’s history, cultures, and the extraordinary resilience and spirit of its people. Yet, this comes with its own set of opportunities and challenges. A continent of immense beauty and diversity, Africa presents us with a complex humanitarian landscape. Africa is a place of paradoxes, where soaring aspirations uncomfortably co-exist with profound inequalities. Humanitarian needs are growing each day, stretching the bounds of lives, livelihoods, and human dignity. Poverty, inequality, and political instability compound these humanitarian needs. Economic challenges including high unemployment rates, limited industrialization, and a heavy reliance on primary commodities for export make many African nations vulnerable to fluctuations in global markets. We continue to witness alarming hunger levels across the continent, with 167 million facing acute food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa, a 14% increase from 2022. The impact of El Niño in 2023/2024, forecasts a 90% probability of flooding in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, alongside reduced rainfall in Southern Africa. We know this will further exacerbate food insecurity in the coming years, as African food systems are very vulnerable to climate extremes and shifts in weather patterns. Disease and epidemics are on the rise as a result. Last year, 96 disease outbreaks were officially reported in 36 countries, with cholera, measles, and yellow fever being the most common. As climate disasters worsen, 7.5 million people were displaced in Africa, the highest annual figure ever reported for the region. And with the cascading effects of political instability in a number of countries, the number of people on the move have begun to climb as well, with 9 million people torn from their homes in 2022. We cannot forget that behind these distressing statistics are actual people –women, men, and children with increasing needs and less resilience to cope. These are the challenges that exist in a continent which is full of young and dynamic population full of unparalleled vibrancy and dynamism. It also has many beautiful tourist destinations. This is a continent full of natural resources - minerals, oil and gas, timber, agricultural land, fisheries, renewable energy, gemstones, water resources, forestry products. Almost everything you can think of. It makes me wonder how come a continent so full of resources is also facing so many challenges. How can we contribute to addressing these humanitarian gaps? Please allow me to share just three fundamental approaches that could help us to make a meaningful contribution to the people and communities in Africa. First is Solidarity – Working together in partnerships: We are bound together in our journey in search of a brighter future. The expanding humanitarian needs push us to the brink, but our unwavering solidarity pulls us back and drives us forward. Solidarity and commitment to our Strategy 2030 and Agenda for Renewal allows us to respond to multiple crises and disasters, build community resilience and strengthen localization in this region. Just last month, I visited Gambia and Egypt to better understand the migration situation. My conversations with volunteers, National Society and government leaders were eye opening. When it comes to migration, Africa is a continent on the move. This comes with positive benefits too—In Gambia migrants contribute to 20% of the country’s GDP. To the rest of the world, the migration of Africans is often framed around their movement beyond Africa’s borders. Yet the story of the millions of refugees and internally displaced people being hosted within Africa, which is more than 85%, is not acknowledged. Through the IFRC’s Global Route-based Migration programme and humanitarian service points we witness how Africans are overwhelmingly supporting fellow Africans on the move. Africans standing shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow Africans, is a testament to our capacity to overcome adversity. As we address urgent crises before us, it's our combined strength that forms our bedrock of hope. Internal solidarity sometimes can be challenging. Let us not doubt ourselves in our commitment to solidarity. Let us foster trust and belief among ourselves. Second is Solutions to scale- think big, act big: Across Africa much progress has been made and the vast opportunities lie ahead. 34 countries, representing approximately 72% of Africa’s population, have demonstrated significant progress in governance over the last two decades, especially in the areas of rule of law, the protection of rights, and growth of civil society. Africa’s great untapped potential is more visible than ever, with economic growth and investment in public services contributing to the improvement of millions of lives and transformation of societies. The theme of this 10th Pan African Conference is renewing investment in Africa. I suggest that we make this investment people centric. You may want to consider calling it "renewing people-centric investment in Africa". I encourage every one of us to consider how investments in National Societies, and especially in their young volunteers, can harness Africa’s agility and innovation that empowers people to address the needs when they come and continue to work to reduce humanitarian needs by building long term resilience in the communities. For this, our Agenda for Renewal guides the IFRC to work for and with National Societies in everything we do. We have invested in scaling up digitalization, risk management, new funding models for greater agility, accountability, and impact to reach the communities. We foster learning and strengthen National Society capacities, so that we become leaders in the humanitarian field, not just in response but in resilience building, data, influence, collaboration, and innovation. In 2020-2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, African National Societies came together with the IFRC secretariat to reach 450 million people with humanitarian services. The REACH initiative between Africa CDC, the African Union and the IFRC comes with an ambition to scale up the community health workforce by two million and strengthening National Society capacity across the continent to address health needs. These are solutions that are tailored to African communities, that reflect African needs and that can be measured by the outcomes we achieve for the people. Let’s not play small. Let’s think big, let’s act big. Because that’s what it is needed now. Third is Leadership – listen, learn and lead. Our humanitarian action must make a positive difference in people’s lives. In this era of fast paced change and shifting political divides, our leadership has never been more crucial. Leadership to partner with others along equal and mutually reinforcing terms, Leadership to position our National Societies as unparalleled community partner, with unmatched local intelligence and reach, Leadership to engage in internal transformation, Leadership to embody our Fundamental Principles, Leadership to invest in young people--Africa’s most abundant and greatest resource--harness their skills, give them opportunities to lead us to a more just and equitable future. Leadership to build trust, internally and externally, to be bold at communicating good news as well as challenges, to bring about collective energy and hope. Leadership that doesn’t accept business as usual. Leadership that strives for excellence in everything we do. There will be ups and downs, but we will persist. This is what leadership is all about. In our pursuit of a brighter future for Africa, let us hold ourselves to lead with accountability, not just to the challenges of today but also to the aspirations of tomorrow. Let every action we take, every initiative we launch, and every partnership we forge be a testament to our unwavering commitment to the people. I wish you a very productive Pan-African Conference. And please allow me to conclude by sharing a quote from Nelson Mandela – «one of the things I learned when I was negotiating that until I changed myself, I couldn’t change others». Let this conference give us the inspiration to be the real agent of change for the people of Africa. Thank you.

Mahabub Maalim: Planting hope amid a hunger crisis in Africa

A regional leader in the fight against food insecurity in Africa, Mahabub Maalim knows first-hand the impact that hunger has on people and communities. Growing up in eastern Kenya, he’s seen how cycles of drought, crop loss and hunger have become more frequent and more severe. He’s dedicated his life to helping communities develop local solutions and he now serves as special advisor to IFRC’s response to the current hunger crisis in Africa (now impacting 23 countries).

REACH initiative

Our Resilient and Empowered African Community Health (REACH) initiative, in partnership with Africa CDC, aims to improve the health of communities across Africa by scaling upeffective, people-centred and integrated community health workforces and systems.

Hiding from bullets in a water tank: Kenyan evacuee who fled Sudan shares her story

“I heard the bullets outside when I was cleaning. My boss told me the war had started.” These are the words of Theresa*, a young woman from Kenya who bravely agreed to share her story with me about fleeing the conflict in Sudan. Feeling afraid for her safety, she asked me to not publish her photo. Theresa had just started working as a domestic worker with five other young women in a large home in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, when the fighting broke out. “I was new in Sudan. My bosses left for Egypt and I stayed with five girls and three security. The electricity went off, there was no water, it was too hot.” She says thieves came into the house, tied up their security and started looking for her and her fellow workers. “We went and hid upstairs at the top of the house where there was a water tank. The thieves broke the doors, took gold, money, everything in the house. Even my passport.” “They came upstairs and looked around. We had left a phone and kettle of tea and they said ‘the girls are around and have taken their tea here’.” “I was inside the water tank. They shot bullets so we would come out, but we didn’t. We kept quiet in that tank of water until they ran away.” Theresa and her fellow workers fled the house several days later when another group of men came and moved into it. “I left everything in that house. The road was not safe. The bombs were everywhere. They were shooting, I didn’t care [if I died]. […] I came to my embassy. I stayed there then they brought me to Kenya.” Theresa is just one of 44 people I met in Nairobi airport who’d managed to get evacuated to safety from the conflict in Sudan. They drifted through the airport gates in small pairs and groups, collapsing onto chairs that volunteers from the Kenya Red Cross (KRC) had set out for them. “Karibu, you’re welcome” were among the first words they heard. The group was made up of mostly women – their evacuation prioritized due to the increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence. They had come from different countries and had all been in Sudan to work or study. Social worker and Kenya Red Cross volunteer, Alexina, tells me most of the women and some of the men she’s helped have survived sexual violence. She’s welcomed numerous groups now, and stories like Theresa’s are shockingly similar. People have often fled in a hurry, or their possessions have been stolen en route, meaning they typically have no passports, money or belongings by the time they reach Nairobi. When they arrive, evacuees first register with Kenya Red Cross volunteers who take their details to help reconnect them with their loved ones. They’re then led to a tent where they can have quiet conversations with trained mental health workers. Inside the tent, volunteers, including psychologists and a social worker, sit with small circles of evacuees who share their stories of what they’ve been through. This early psychosocial support gives people who’ve been through traumatic situations a chance to start to process what’s happened. Next is a police table to help them with ID documentation. Then there’s a comfortable welcoming area where people enjoy food and drinks, and a first aid station with medical and hygiene supplies. People can access free phone services, and the Kenya Red Cross runs a bus service to transfer people to free accommodation. “I’m very happy to be back in Kenya now […] When they were looking for me and I was inside the water tank, I thought that was my day to die,” says Theresa. After recounting her story, Theresa looks numb and exhausted. I struggle to find adequate words as we say goodbye. She climbs, carrying her one bag, into one of the buses, and I think about what I should have said: “I’m in awe at your resilience, Theresa.” -- An estimated nine million people have been affected by the conflict in Sudan. Some 1.2 million people have been displaced internally and nearly half a million people have fled to neighbouring countries. The IFRC has launched two Emergency Appeals in response to this crisis: one to support the Sudanese Red Crescent Society to help people inside Sudan, and another to support National Societies in six neighbouring countries welcoming people fleeing the conflict. To help people like Theresa, please donate to our appeals by following the links above. -- *Name has been changed to protect her identity.

Kenya hunger crisis: Voices from the drought

Kenya is one of many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa currently experiencing one of the most alarming food crises in decades. Severe drought, due to the failure of four consecutive rainy seasons, means millions of people in the country are facing hunger and thirst. But drought isn't the only problem. High inflation, climate-related disasters, conflicts and displacement are just a handful of the other local and global factors at play that are putting people's lives across the country at serious risk. And as a result of the hunger crisis, we're also seeing higher rates of child marriage, increased school drop outs and escalating conflicts as people try to cope and access precious resources. The Kenya Red Cross Society, supported by the IFRC, has been helping affected communities to protect their lives and livelihoods through this crisis. Their local volunteers are distributing food, rehabilitating water sources, providing cash transfers and supporting people's nutrition—reaching more than 100,000 households so far. In this article, hear from some of the people we've supported as they talk about how this historical drought is affecting their and their families' lives. Scolastica Esekon, Aukot Village, Ngaremara, Isiolo “I have been blessed with eight children. Now that it is dry and the cattle have left to find pasture elsewhere, we may be without food all afternoon and evening. Livestock has died and at the same time prices have risen. I might get 200 or 500 shillings a day for manual work, but that’s enough for one meal, and we are hungry again in the evening. Life is hard for women. The young people have gone with the animals to look for grass. It may take several days, and then you hear that cattle raiders have killed the men. And some even commit suicide. The water has helped a lot, and we can thank God that he has brought us helpers who have dug wells. When I come back from work in the night, I can get water from nearby. Before, I had to walk several hours away, and I could still come home without water, because the elephants could drive us away. Now that’s not a problem.” Ebenyo Muya, Aukot Village, Ngaremara, Isiolo “The drought has come over us all. We receive aid, but it does not come often and does not last long. We are really grateful for the water project that the Kenya Red Cross has given us. We would also need piping for irrigation, so that we could start farming. Our biggest problem is the drought. The trees are dry and the animals are gone. Without the Red Cross water, we would really be in trouble. The children are weak, and we have nothing to give them. Some people have livestock left, but they cannot sell them, because the animals are too thin. My cattle of 48 cows was stolen a couple of years ago. The drought has made conflicts worse. I believe that agriculture could be a good option for us. If the children can go to school, they will be able to change the future.” Farhiya Abdi Ali, Abakaile location, Garissa “In the past, life was normal and business was good. We got milk and meat from the animals. Now there is no milk. and the animals are too thin for slaughter. My shop has not been doing well, because people have no money to buy goods. I have been told by the wholesale markets that I cannot get anything. But when the Red Cross came and gave people cash assistance, I got money from people and I could buy things in the store again. I got a grant myself and used some to buy things for the shop and used some money to pay my children’s school fees, they are in high school. Life is better now and people are relieved.” Abdi Buke Tinisa, Sericho Location, Isiolo “The Red Cross has dug a well for us, and the cows are allowed to drink, even though there is no pasture here. The drought has been really bad. The animals used to eat and return home early in the evening because they had had enough. Now the animals are looking for food and stay up all night looking for grass. Some stay here near the water and are killed by wild animals at night. This drought has brought with it a lot of fear. I used to have 50 cows, but only 12 are still alive. I don’t think they will survive until the next rains either, they are in poor condition. The children have usually gone to school, but now the problem is school fees. We don’t always have enough money to buy food for the children, how could we have money for school fees?” -- Click here to learn more about the hunger crisis in Africa and to donate to our Emergency Appeal.

National Society Investment Alliance: Funding announcement 2022

The National Society Investment Alliance (NSIA) is a pooled funding mechanism, run jointly by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). It provides flexible, multi-year funding to support the long-term development of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies—particularly those in complex emergencies and protracted crisis—so they can increase the reach and impact of their humanitarian services. The NSIA can award up to one million CHF of accelerator funding to any one National Society over a five-year period. In addition, bridge grants of up to 50,000 CHF over 12 months can help National Societies prepare the ground for future investment from the NSIA or from elsewhere. This year, the NSIA is pleased to announce that the following six National Societies have been selected for accelerator funding in 2022: Burundi Red Cross Kenya Red Cross Society Malawi Red Cross Society Russian Red Cross Society Syrian Arab Red Crescent Zambia Red Cross Society These National Societies will receive a significant investment of up to one million CHF, to be used over a maximum of five years, to help accelerate their journey towards long-term sustainability. Three of these National Societies (Syria, Malawi and Zambia) previously received NSIA bridge awards, proving once again the relevance of the fund’s phased approach towards sustainable development. In addition, 14 other National Societies will receive up to 50,000 CHF in bridge funding: Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Nicaragua, Palestine, Panama, Rwanda, Sierra Leone. In total, the NSIA will allocate 5.4 million CHF to 20 different National Societies this year. This is more than double the funds allocated in 2021 and represents the largest annual allocation since the NSIA’s launch in 2019. This landmark allocation is made possible thanks to the generous support from the governments of Switzerland, the United States, Canada and Norway, and from the Norwegian and Netherlands’ National Societies. Both the ICRC and IFRC have also strongly reinforced their commitment, by allocating 10 million CHF and 2 million CHF respectively over the coming years. The Co-chairs of the NSIA Steering Committee, Xavier Castellanos, IFRC Under-Secretary General for National Society Development and Operations Coordination, and Olivier Ray, ICRC Director for Mobilization, Movement and Partnership, said: “We are pleased to have been able to select 20 National Societies’ initiatives for funding by the NSIA in 2022. Our vision and plans are becoming a reality. We see Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies operating in fragile contexts accessing funds for sustainably developing to deliver and scale up their humanitarian services. This is localization in action and at scale. It is particularly encouraging to see that the NSIA’s two-stage approach, with initial funds providing a springboard to help National Societies prepare for increased investment aimed at achieving sustained impact on the organization and vulnerable communities, is working. We hope to see many more National Societies planning and following this journey. 2022 will be remembered as a milestone for the NSIA. Our ambition is to maintain this momentum and continue to grow in the years to come. We see this mechanism as a valuable and strategic lever to support National Societies in fragile and crisis settings to undertake their journey towards sustainable development.” For more information, please click here to visit the NSIA webpage.

Africa: Hunger crisis

Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing one of the most alarming food crises in decades—immense in both its severity and geographic scope.Roughly 146 million people are suffering from acute food insecurity and require urgent humanitarian assistance. The crisis is driven by a range of local and global factors, including insecurity and armed conflict, extreme weather events, climate variability and negative macroeconomic impacts. Through this regional Emergency Appeal, the IFRC is supporting many Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies across Africa to protect the lives, livelihoods and prospects of millions of people.

Crisis fatigue not an option as global hunger crisis deepens, the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement warns

Geneva, 13 September 2022 (ICRC/IFRC) – The warning lights are flashing on high: armed conflict, climate-related emergencies, economic hardship and political obstacles are leading to a growing wave of hunger in countries around the world. The misery for millions will deepen without immediate urgent action. Systems-level improvements must be made to escape a cycle of recurrent crises, including investments in climate-smart food production in conflict-affected areas, and reliable mechanisms to support hard-to-reach communities hit by food shortages and skyrocketing prices, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said ahead of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly. The international armed conflict in Ukraine has greatly disrupted global food supply systems as well as future harvests in many countries due to the impact it’s having on the availability of fertilizer. The importance of more shipments by the Black Sea grain initiative reaching vulnerable populations in East Africa cannot be overstated. Too few grain shipments are getting to where they are needed. As hunger emergencies hit the headlines, the risk of crisis fatigue is high. Yet what’s uniquely frightening about this moment is the breadth and depth of the needs. More than 140 million people face acute food insecurity due to conflict and instability, even as climate change and economic precarity indicate that hunger needs will rise in the coming months. Political will and resources are needed now. Without them, many lives will be lost, and the suffering will endure for years. An emergency response alone will not end these hunger crises. Concerted action and long-term approaches are the only way to break the cycle. While addressing urgent needs, it is essential to set the foundation for resilience. More efforts must be made — by governments, private sectors, and humanitarian and development groups — to support long-term food security, livelihoods, and resilience plans. Measures must include investments in strengthening grassroots food systems and community actors to sustainably achieve food and economic security. One of the approaches to consider is anticipatory action for food security, based on forecasts and risk analysis. Francesco Rocca, President of the IFRC, said: “Two dozen countries across Africa are grappling with the worst food crisis in decades. Some 22 million people in the Horn of Africa are in the clutches of starvation due to such compounding crises as drought, flooding, COVID-19’s economic effects, conflict – even desert locusts. Behind the staggeringly high numbers are real people – men, women and children battling death-level hunger every day. The situation is expected to deteriorate into 2023. However, with swift action, many lives can be saved. We need urgent and massive action to scale up life-saving assistance to millions of people in dire need of aid, but also to decisively address the root causes of this crisis through longer term commitments.” The IFRC and its membership—which consists of Red Cross and Red Crescent teams in nearly every corner of the globe—are delivering aid in hard-to-reach communities. Assistance includes getting cash into the hands of families to meet food, health and other urgent needs. In Nigeria, Red Cross volunteers focus on pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, whose nutrition is paramount for healthy births and childhoods. In Madagascar, volunteers restore land and water sources through anti-erosion activities, the construction of water points, and a focus on irrigation in addition to traditional ways to fight hunger, like nutrition monitoring. Peter Maurer, President of the ICRC, said: “Conflict is a huge driver of hunger. We see violence preventing farmers from planting and harvesting. We see sanctions and blockades preventing food delivery to the most vulnerable. My wish is that we build resiliency into the fabric of humanitarian response, so that communities suffer less when violence and climate change upend lives. A cycle of band-aid solutions will not be enough in coming years.” The ICRC this year has helped nearly 1 million people in south and central Somalia buy a month’s worth of food by distributing cash to more than 150,000 households. A similar programme in Nigeria helped 675,000 people, while more than a quarter million people received climate smart agriculture inputs to restore crop production. The ICRC works to strengthen resilience through seeds, tools and livestock care so that residents can better absorb recurrent shocks. And its medical professionals are running stabilization centres in places like Somalia, where kids are getting specialized nutrition care. Communities around the world are suffering deep hardship. A short snapshot of some of the regions in need includes: In Sub-Saharan Africa: One in three children under the age of five is stunted by chronic undernutrition, while two out of five women of childbearing age are anaemic because of poor diets. The majority of people in sub-Saharan Africa live on less than $1.90 a day. In Afghanistan: The combination of three decades of armed conflict and an economic crash resulting in few job opportunities and a massive banking crisis are having a devastating effect on Afghan families’ ability to buy food. More than half the country – 24 million – need assistance. The International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement welcomes any measure aimed at easing the effect of economic sanctions. But given the depth of the humanitarian crisis, long-term solutions are also needed, including the resumption of projects and investments by states and development agencies in key infrastructure. In Pakistan: The recent flooding has led to an estimated $12 billion in losses. Food security in the country was alarming before this latest catastrophe, with 43 percent of the population food insecure. Now the number of acutely hungry people is expected to rise substantially. Some 78,000 square kilometers (21 million acres) of crops are under water. An estimated 65 percent of the country’s food basket – crops like rice and wheat– have been destroyed, with over 733,000 livestock reportedly killed. The floods will also negatively affect food delivery into neighboring Afghanistan. In Somalia: We have seen a five-fold increase in the number of malnourished children needing care. Last month the Bay Regional Hospital in Baidoa admitted 466 children, up from 82 in August 2021. Children admitted here die without the specialized nutritional care they receive. In Syria: Food insecurity rates have risen more than 50 percent since 2019. Today, two-thirds of Syria’s population –12.4 million out of 18 million – can’t meet their daily food needs. The compounding effects of more than a decade of conflict, including the consequences of sanctions, have crippled people’s buying power. Food prices have risen five-fold in the last two years. In Yemen: Most Yemenis survive on one meal a day. Last year 53 percent of Yemen’s population were food insecure. This year it’s 63 percent – or some 19 million people. Aid actors have been forced to cut food assistance due to a lack of funds. Some 5 million people will now receive less than 50 percent of their daily nutritional requirement because of it. Notes to editors For more information, please contact: IFRC:Tommaso Della Longa, [email protected], +41 79 708 43 67 IFRC: Jenelle Eli, [email protected], +41 79 935 97 40 ICRC:Crystal Wells, [email protected], +41 79 642 80 56 ICRC: Jason Straziuso, [email protected], +41 79 949 35 12 Audio-visuals available: Horn of Africa photos and b-roll Pakistan floods photos and b-roll Somalia cash programme photos and b-roll Kenya sees climate shocks b-roll

Horn of Africa hunger crisis: Addressing needs of nomadic communities is crucial to saving lives

Nairobi/Geneva, 7 September 2022—Nearly a million people have been forced to leave their homes in search of food and water in parts of Somalia and Kenya, as a catastrophic hunger crisis continues to unfold. More than 22 million people are approaching or experiencing a complete lack of food in the Horn of Africa. The situation is projected to get worse in early 2023. Nomadic communities are particularly hard hit by food shortages and skyrocketing prices. While food and funds will address part of the problem, without a reliable mechanism of reaching nomadic families with consistent and holistic humanitarian assistance, the world’s response to the hunger crisis will remain both inefficient and insufficient, warned the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) today. Mohamed Babiker, IFRC’s head of Kenya and Somalia delegation said: “Millions of lives are at risk. But as the humanitarian community accelerates its response, we should ensure that mistakes of the past decades are not repeated. It is crucial that aid is not just available—but that it also reaches the right people in an efficient manner. Most of the affected families are from pastoralist communities, who are often nomadic, and can only be reached by those who are close enough to them to keep up with their movements to provide uninterrupted assistance. A local response is vital.” In Kenya, most of the areas experiencing food insecurity are in the Arid and Semi-arid lands (ASAL) areas, where communities practice pastoralism and therefore depend mainly on meat and milk for nutrition and income. The lack of rain has forced families out of their homes, in search of water and pasture. In Somalia, women and girls have been disproportionally affected by the crisis as they tend to travel long distances in search of water and firewood. They have also been separated from their families and remain behind with the livestock while the men and boys migrate in search of pasture and water. Babiker added: “The response is facing two major challenges. The biggest one is the lack of sufficient resources to purchase emergency relief items. However, even if you have the money, you need to be able to reach these nomadic communities, in an efficient and consistent manner. This is crucial. We call upon partners and donors to invest in institutions that have reliable access to families on the move.” Bringing humanitarian assistance to families who are constantly on the move is one of the greatest challenges aid workers face. In response, Red Crescent teams in Somalia work closely with nomadic communities, so there is never a question about where to deliver aid. These volunteers come from the very communities they serve. With recent reports that more than 700 children have died in nutrition centres across Somalia, it is even more crucial that aid organizations reach affected people in their communities before their situation becomes critical as some do not reach health centres, or arrive when it is too late. In addition to food, people affected by drought also need health services. During field visits to Puntland and other parts of the country, IFRC and Somali Red Crescent teams care for displaced people who are exhausted and sick. Red Crescent teams in Somalia, supported by the IFRC, reach nomadic communities with mobile clinics to provide basic health services in remote regions of the country. “Our strength lies in our volunteer network which comes from the communities we serve. They understand the cultural context and local languages and have in-depth knowledge and understanding of affected communities,” said Babiker. Red Cross and Red Crescent teams will also focus on delivering cash to families to meet their food, health and other urgent needs. Cash gives people the freedom to choose what they need most to help their families stay healthy and is more convenient for nomadic communities who would otherwise need to carry in-kind aid with them as they move. To date, Red Cross and Red Crescent teams in Kenya and Somalia have reached, collectively, at least 645,000 people affected by the drought with health services, cash assistance, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene services. Note to editors: New high-quality photos and videos from drought affected parts of Somalia and Kenya are available at this link: https://www.ifrcnewsroom.org/ For more information, please contact: In Nairobi: Euloge Ishimwe, +254 735 437 906, [email protected] In Geneva: Anna Tuson, +41 79 895 6924, [email protected]

“Hunger is one of the most undignified sufferings of humanity”: Tackling food insecurity in Africa and beyond

Food insecurity is not a new phenomenon. But the recent escalation in severity and geographical spread of chronic hunger is serious cause for alarm. The hunger crisis is most starkly felt on the African continent, where many regions, notably the Horn of Africa, Sahel and Lake Chad regions, are experiencing the worst food crisis in decades. Millions of people are facing hunger across Africa—prompting the IFRC to launch Emergency Appeals for hunger crises in Nigeria, Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Niger and Angola all within the past year. Back in May, I met some of those affected whilevisiting drought-affected areas in Marsabit County, Kenya—where levels of malnutrition are among the highest on the continent. I saw first-hand the level of suffering caused by a severe lack of rainfall over four consecutive seasons, coupled with pre-existing vulnerability in parts of the County. Children, young mothers and the elderly are most affected and facing near depletion of their livelihoods. Although this hunger crisis is, to a large extent, climate-induced, it is also driven by the effects of widespread locust swarms, disease outbreaks, conflict and insecurity, and economic slowdowns—including those triggered by COVID-19. Furthermore, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is disrupting the global trade of food, fertilizers and oil products, with prices of agricultural products reaching record highs. Eastern Africa, for instance, gets 90 per cent of its imported wheat from Russia and Ukraine (source: WFP), and the conflict has led to significant shortages. The Ukraine crisis has also diverted both the attention and resources from other crises. While Ukraine is an extremely worrying crisis, affecting millions, we cannot afford to lose sight of other urgent crises around the world. Not least of which is the rapidly deteriorating food security situation in many parts of Africa. The clock is ticking and soon it may be too late to avert a widespread tragedy. So the question that should concern us all is: what can we do, as a humanitarian collective, to avoid the tragic history of the early 1980s repeating itself? We need urgent and massive action to scale up life-saving assistance to millions of people on the verge of collapsing, but also to decisively address the root causes of this crisis through longer term commitments. The IFRC has an important and unique role to play. With our unparalleled community reach and expertise, our 100+ years of humanitarian experience, our ability to act both locally and globally, and our National Societies’ special status as auxiliaries to public authorities—we can turn this tide. But we need the resources to do so. Our collective immediate priority is to muster life-saving support, within and outside our IFRC network, for the next six months—paying particular attention to the Horn of Africa, Central Sahel and other hot spots across the continent. During this emergency phase, we will focus our support on the things we know from experience will make the most difference to affected people’s lives and livelihoods: food assistance, cash programmes and nutrition support. At the same time, we will develop longer-term programming, together with interested National Societies, to address the root causes of food insecurity. We will build on our previous successes and work in support of governments’ plans and frameworks to restore the resilience of the most impoverished communities, including displaced populations. Everything we do will be underpinned by solid data and meaningful community engagement to ensure that our response is evidence-based and tailor-made. Hunger is one of the most undignified sufferings of humanity. To alleviate human suffering, we must rise to this challenge through collective mobilization and action—both in the immediate and long-term. We simply cannot afford to do too little, too late. --- Since 2020: The IFRC network reached 4.8 million people with food assistance and non-food items, combining all humanitarian response operations (Emergency Appeals, DREFs and our COVID-19 response) More than 20 African National Societies have been implementing food security-related projects as part of their regular programming 33 African National Societies have increased their capacity to deliver cash and voucher assistance Click here to learn more about the IFRC’s work in food security and livelihoods. You may also be interested in reading: 'To beat Africa’s hunger crises, start with long-term planning' -opinion piece in Devex by IFRC Regional Director for Africa, Mohammed Omer Mukhier-Abuzein 'Because of hunger, I am here' - photo story from the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine about Angolan refugees fleeing to Namibia due to the drought and resulting lack of food and water And scroll down to learn more about our active Emergency Appeals for food insecurity in Africa and beyond.