Help Famine Victims in East Africa [Karma Police]

Whether it’s tornado victims in the United States, tsunami victims in Japan, or Haitians recovering from a devastating Earthquake, every society experiences a disaster situation which requires assistance from all of us. “Karma Police” is a regular feature which highlights humanitarian crises that you can do something about.

On July 20, the United Nations declared a famine situation in the Horn of Africa, the first official famine declared by the UN since 1984. 3.7 million individuals are in danger of starving and over 12 million people are affected across regions that include Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Sources

Wikipedia: “2011 Horn of Africa Famine”
NPR Foreign Policy: “Murder by Starvation”

The East African food crisis was pushed into the famine category by the drought that has affected the region in the past year. Precipitation levels have been at 30% of the 1995-2010 yearly average, with the current dry spell predicted to last until September. The situation has been further complicated by the weak Somali government and the Islamic militant group al-Shabab which is blocking food aid. As the famine creates a refugee and humanitarian crisis, the risk of cholera and malaria epidemics also increases.