Clubs should help end famine in Sudan

Clubs should help end famine in Sudan

Earlier this week, the UN said parts of the South Sudan are officially going through a famine. Meaning millions of people there have little to no access to food. 100,000 people are facing starvation and some are dying from hunger.

The problem comes in big part from the country’s three year-long civil war, which has killed tens of thousands of people and forced more than a million to leave home. The war has also battered the economy, pushing food prices up.

Meanwhile, three other African countries –

Somalia, Yemen, and Nigeria – are also on the verge or already suffering from famine. And humanitarian groups worry that they might not have the resources to help everyone.  In addition, the danger to humanitarian groups in this war-torn area is great.

The Round Up staff strongly urges each club and organization at Clements to select one of the humanitarian groups and help raise funds for them.  Every penny counts, because the problem is so dire.

Roughly 5.5 million people, or about 50 percent of South Sudan’s population, are expected to be severely food insecure and at risk of death in the coming months, said the UN report. It added that nearly three-quarters of all households in the country suffer from inadequate food.

If food aid does not reach children urgently “many of them will die,” said Jeremy Hopkins, head of the U.N children’s agency in South Sudan.

World Vision, which estimates that 250,000 children are at risk of severe malnutrition, faces the largest single funding gap of $33 million.   Oxfam, which has helped over 260,000 people since the crisis began has only managed to raise half of the $30.35 million it needs.   Save the Children has helped nearly 162,000 and has plans to help over 500,000 but needs an extra $19.5 million.

In addition, Care International is short of more than $9 million, which means it may have to cut off aid to over 65,000 people.  Expanding International Rescue Committee’s work in Juba, Awerial and Yida is under threat due to a shortfall of $1.3 million. Christian Aid, which has so far supported over 100,000 people, needs an additional $7 million.

The risk of famine is rising as the number of people requiring help is steadily rising, but the money to enable agencies to do something about this is not coming through. The funding crisis is not affecting the agencies alone. The UN’s $1.8 billion appeal is so far less than half funded.

According to World Vision, “there is a desperate need for peace in South Sudan so that people can go home, go back to school, plant crops and patch their lives back together. International pressure is needed on all parties to the conflict to end the violence and to build a nation for all South Sudanese people. However, without more funding now, that future is slipping further away and may not exist for many.”

When Clements gets behind an idea, the school efforts are always successful.  It is up to all of us to do our part to help the children so very much less fortunate than those in our community.