Your response to the east Africa crisis is saving lives

East Africa remains in the grip of a major humanitarian crisis. 1.7 million people in South Sudan are on the brink of famine and the food crisis in neighbouring countries, including Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, is deepening.

Across east Africa, 1.4 million children are acutely malnourished and more than 20 million people are at risk of starvation. The tragic result of years of conflict and economic instability in some regions is that millions of families are now struggling to find even the most basic supplies of food.

That’s why the response of Concern donors has been so incredible. Thanks to your generous gifts, our teams have been able to increase food distributions and scale-up our work to save lives in many of the areas most critically affected.

We now have 1,200 staff working with local partners in South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.

You’ve helped us reach more than 700,000 people in South Sudan with emergency food, water and healthcare. 1.7 million people remain on the brink of famine, but our acute malnutrition programme is treating critically ill children in 52 clinics across the country.

25-year-old Aweng Aken and her husband returned to South Sudan after years of exile from the war. But life quickly became harder than ever as conflict spread again. Surviving on just one basic meal a day, Aweng’s poor nutrition meant she didn’t have enough breast milk for her baby daughter, Adut.

At 10 months old, Adut was acutely malnourished and weighed just 9.7lbs – the equivalent of a healthy newborn. Thankfully, Adut was put on a Concern-supported programme of high-energy peanut paste packed with micronutrients and vitamins, and she finally started to gain weight.

Our emergency nutrition programmes in Ethiopia are targeting more than 100,000 acutely malnourished children between six months and five years old, and pregnant and lactating mothers. And we’re providing life-saving drinking water to areas where the wells and springs have dried up completely.

Somalia’s food crisis has deepened with the lethal combination of climate change, unpredictable rainfall and conflict.

More than half the population is now suffering severe food shortages. But you’re supporting our emergency teams on the ground to provide clean water to tackle the increasing outbreaks of cholera, and emergency cash transfers so vulnerable families can buy the food they urgently need.

We’ve increased our health and nutrition programme in Kenya from 21 to 38 outreach clinics, and provided more than 7,500 families with Aquatabs so they can give their children safe water to drink.

The effects of drought and severe food shortages are compounded by conflict. An estimated 1.8 million adults and children have fled civil war in South Sudan for refugee camps in neighbouring countries including Ethiopia and Kenya. But, with your support, our work can continue to bring real hope and relief to families across east Africa.

We’re so grateful for the generosity of our donors – it’s more critical now than ever, to help save lives and protect thousands of children from starvation.

Thank you all for being part of our life-saving team.

Learn more about the diversity of our work in 26 countries worldwide.

• Learn about the food crisis in east Africa
• Blog: Risk of starvation rises as South Sudan marks its sixth year of independence
• Blog: Somalia on the brink of famine
• Blog: Praying for rain in Kenya
• Blog: Diversifying diets in Ethiopia