Tag: Ethiopia

£250,000 for refugees fleeing conflict

Humanitarian emergency funding for displaced people in South Sudan and Ethiopia

International Development Minister Kaukab Stewart has pledged £250,000 in Scottish Government funding for charities responding to the ongoing conflict in Sudan and the impact on refugees in neighbouring countries.

Oxfam and Christian Aid will receive funds from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF) to assist displaced people and their host communities in South Sudan and Ethiopia with food and essentials.

Since the onset of the war in neighbouring Sudan last year, South Sudan has witnessed an influx of over half a million people.

There are more than 930,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Ethiopia, over 385,000 are South Sudanese living in the Gambella region and facing challenges in meeting basic needs, leading to increasing cases of malnutrition and diarrhoea.

Ms Stewart said: “Our thoughts are with the thousands of refugees in South Sudan struggling to survive and facing a bleak and uncertain future.

“This funding will play a crucial role in addressing the immediate needs of those affected by conflict and the climate crisis, including access to shelter, food, clean water, and healthcare. It is imperative that we work with the international community to alleviate their suffering and help them rebuild their lives.

“The £250,000 funding pledge to aid charities responding to the crisis through the Humanitarian Emergency Fund  demonstrates our commitment to providing essential assistance to people in need.”

Head of Christian Aid Scotland Val Brown said: “South Sudan is dealing with multiple shocks including acute food insecurity and one of the world’s largest displacement crises. In addition, many people have arrived in the country from neighbouring Sudan, fleeing the conflict that started last April.

“We’re grateful for funding from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund which will enable to us to reach 4000 people in the Wedweil Refugee Camp, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, so people can purchase food and essentials.  There will also be additional cash assistance for 400 vulnerable women and girls to support their recovery and empowerment.”

Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland said: “The Scottish Government deserves significant credit for allocating its small, but vital humanitarian funding not just to high-profile emergencies like Gaza or Ukraine, but also to those crises that unfold well away from the world’s attention – and the refugee crisis resulting from the situation in South Sudan is a stark example.

“Importantly, Oxfam is not only ensuring that water and sanitation facilities in Gambella are safer and more accessible to women and girls, and people with disabilities, but also supporting local actors to take ownership over their ongoing maintenance.

“This twin approach of inclusive and locally-led humanitarian response, underpinned by safe programming, is critical to ensuring refugees get the critical support they need.”

The Humanitarian Emergency Fund provides aid in the aftermath of a crisis. 

£100 million new aid for over three million vulnerable Ethiopians as humanitarian crisis deepens

  • UK Government announces new aid to save the lives of mothers and babies in Ethiopia as UK warns of growing risk of humanitarian catastrophe.
  • The funding comes as the UK’s Development and Africa Minister, Andrew Mitchell, returns from a 2-day visit to the country,  witnessing the humanitarian crisis first hand
  • UK calls on the international community to step up efforts to prevent a major crisis

More than three million Ethiopians, including mothers and babies, will receive lifesaving help from the UK through a new humanitarian aid programme and further support for the Tigray region. The uplift has been announced by UK Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell following a two-day visit to Ethiopia.

While in Ethiopia, Mr Mitchell set out a series of actions the UK is taking to help stem the worsening tide. He announced a new UK fund worth £100 million for Ending Preventable Deaths that is targeted on children, particularly children under the age of five, and also on pregnant and post-natal women.

The programme will help more than 3 million Ethiopians – mostly women and children – access essential health services. The funding will increase, among other things, access to family planning support, medicines, and childhood vaccinations.

In addition, emergency funding will help 75 health centres tackle malnutrition and other preventable causes of death such as malaria and cholera.

Across northern Ethiopia, millions of people are facing hunger. War and climate change have crippled crop production and driven people off their lands. The conflict in Tigray has left more than 1 million people displaced.

The combination of conflict and failed harvests in northern Ethiopia have plunged over 3 million into a state of critical food security and hunger. Millions more people are in need, with women and young children in particular, severely affected.

The Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell said: “The crisis is a wake-up call to the world. Food shortages are at a critical level. War has displaced people and decimated vital infrastructure. Climate change and El Nino have fuelled local exoduses with 400,000 displaced in the Somali region of Ethiopia as of last December. 

“Millions are trapped in displacement, hunger and need.  As ever the most vulnerable people, particularly women and children, are the first to be hit.

“The international community needs to come to Ethiopia’s side and work with our friends in the government and international partners to halt and reverse this crisis. In a region that has experienced the horrors of famine in the past, we must ramp up international efforts to avert a major crisis in the near future. We need to act fast and act now.”

The Government and international donors are responding to the needs of 6.6 million people. But as the Minister has warned, the number of critically food insecure people is growing rapidly and will reach 10.8 million in the coming months. 

 Mr Mitchell stressed that while the UK is taking positive action which will save lives on the ground, its efforts alone will not be sufficient to contain the crisis, and that urgent cooperation with international partners and agencies and government will be necessary to prevent the worst.

Meeting with the Government of Ethiopia, he also discussed the UK’s humanitarian commitment to Ethiopia, to women and girls, ending internal conflict, and issues affecting regional stability, including the recent Memorandum of Understanding between Ethiopia and the Somaliland authorities on access to the Red Sea.

Mary’s Meals urges people to speak up for Ethiopia

International school feeding charity shares devastating update from Tigray

School feeding charity Mary’s Meals is urging people to take notice of the atrocities unfolding in Ethiopia and to become the voice for those living there in terror and deprivation.

A recent update from the charity’s long-standing partner in Tigray outlining unimaginable horrors – including the murder of children and rape as a weapon of war – has led Mary’s Meals’ founder, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, to appeal to the world on their behalf.

Magnus says: “The relative peace of recent months was both a breath of fresh air and an answer to prayer and we are shocked and saddened by this recent letter detailing yet more horror and suffering as violence has once again broken out.

“Since November 2020, updates from our partner in Tigray have been characterised by gut-wrenching stories of inconceivable brutality and suffering, along with assurances that our colleagues there are trying their best, under horrendous circumstances, to bring relief to the most vulnerable.

“The resumption of fighting is making it almost impossible for our partner to get aid to those in need, but we must not make the mistake of thinking there is nothing we can do. We have a voice, and we must speak up for the people of Ethiopia now.”

Mary’s Meals has been serving meals in Tigray since 2017 and before the war, was feeding 24,320 children every school day. When the conflict flared up in Ethiopia in November 2020, schools closed and access to some areas proved impossible.

Working with its local partner, the charity began providing food and support to help thousands of displaced families driven out of their rural towns and villages who were seeking sheltering in the capital Mekelle in hastily constructed refugee camps.

Fighting erupted again in northern Ethiopia again last week, shattering a four-month ceasefire.

Mary’s Meals has received a devastating update from the charity’s partner which outlines the diabolical situation the people of Tigray now find themselves in which says: “Since the dawn of 24 August, dark clouds loom over Tigray because war has broken out once again.

“As you know, there had been countless reports of atrocious violations on human rights after the war that broke out since 3rd November 2020. In silence, months have passed with each day bringing new horrors, forever marking the minds of innocent civilians who got caught up in the tide of such a hate-filled attack.”

In the message from its partner, who can’t be named for security reasons, Magnus was told: “In silence, months have passed with each day bringing new horrors, forever marking the minds of innocent civilians who got caught up in the tide of such a hate-filled attack.

“It was not enough that some of the most vulnerable communities had been starving for months on end, it was not enough that the children born and raised with so much love and hope had been murdered with their bodies left to the elements, and it was not enough that families saw the bright vitality of their daughters and wives dim and be replaced with sheer terror laying witness to the horrors they endured.

“Now, war seems to have been ignited once again, undoubtedly rearing to claim the lives of many young souls who could have contributed for the betterment of humanity.”

Magnus continues: “I hope we do not look back in years to come with a heavy feeling of shame and regret because we failed to stand up for our brothers and sisters in their time of need. We cannot look away while this continues.

“I cannot ignore the pleas from our colleagues to pray for them, speak up for them, and advocate on their behalf and I am asking that you please join me. If you pray, pray about Ethiopia. And, importantly, make Ethiopia and the situation in Tigray a topic of conversation. Make sure people know what is going on because it cannot be allowed to continue. And tell anyone with the power to influence exactly what our partner is telling us; we must show how humanity can prevail over injustice and cruelty.”

Mary’s Meals normally provides a nutritious daily meal in school to 2,279,941 children every school day, working in 20 countries around the world, including Ethiopia, Haiti and South Sudan.

Visit marysmeals.org.uk to find out more.

Minister for Africa welcomes Ukraine grain breakthrough

Statement from the Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford, on the humanitarian crisis in East Africa:

Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford, said: “Friday’s agreement to resume Ukraine grain exports, brokered by the UN and Turkey, is a vital step towards alleviating hunger for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable.

“This is welcome news for countries in East Africa where famine is also being driven by four consecutive seasons of failed rains and the impact of conflicts, with 48 million people now facing severe food insecurity.

“That’s why the UK is calling for urgent action to address suffering in East Africa and is also working with humanitarian aid agencies to tackle this crisis and to stop it from getting worse. This year, The UK will spend approximately £156 million across East Africa towards humanitarian crises.

“It’s eleven years since famine was last declared in Somalia, a crisis that killed over 250,000 people. We have worked with partners to build resilience and save lives over those 11 years and as the UN lead on Somalia, the UK is committed to driving a global response to prevent famine and alleviate further suffering.”

Scottish Government funding support to tackle hunger crisis in Africa

Grants totalling £250,000 are being given to two charities to assist people affected by the hunger crisis in Ethiopia and Somalia.

The region is facing its driest conditions in 40 years, with the impact on food supplies made worse by global grain supply disruption as a result of the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The funding comes from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF), with half going to Christian Aid for their work in Ethiopia, including providing children and pregnant and breastfeeding women with supplementary nutrition.

Islamic Relief is receiving the remaining funding for their project in Somalia, which is delivering emergency assistance for victims of the drought, as well as improving water access and hygiene in four Internally Displaced People camps in Beledweyne District, near the Ethiopian border.  

International Development Minister Neil Gray said: “The drought being experienced in the Horn of Africa is creating a desperate situation for people in the region that is being made worse by grain supply disruption caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.  

“We know that millions of people are facing historic drought conditions and a lack of essential food supplies and we stand ready to act in the face of such a pressing emergency.

“The Scottish Government is committed to fulfilling its role as a responsible and compassionate global citizen and this aid from our Humanitarian Emergency Fund will provide essential help to those in desperate need.”

Head of Christian Aid Scotland Sally Foster-Fulton said: “A prolonged drought and four failed rainy seasons means – yet again – crops cannot grow and this is having a devastating impact on the people of Ethiopia – in addition to the challenges of conflict, COVID-19 and rising food costs.

“Children and women are impacted the most, and many children are showing signs of malnourishment. We are grateful to the Scottish Government for supporting our work in South Omo, southern Ethiopia, where we will ensure the most vulnerable receive money to buy the food they need to survive.”

Nadeem Baqir, Scotland Regional Manager for Islamic Relief UK, said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s support for our work in Somalia which comes at a critical time and will help us to ensure more families get the food and hygiene kits they need.

“Somalia has been hit by failed rains for the fourth year in a row resulting in yet another devastating drought. This has exacerbated the growing hunger crisis alongside the impacts of COVID-19 and the increasing costs of food.

“Across the country, millions of people are in dire need of food assistance and clean water to ensure their survival. Families who have been displaced and are now living in camps do not have enough to eat and in some cases are having to share the little they receive as there just isn’t enough for everyone.”