Famine in Africa

17 million people in Africa are threatened because of a famine. The famine is mainly caused
by drought and the little rainfall. The past six months, only a fourth of the usual rain had
actually fallen. Last year aid organisations already warned for a famine. Around 12 million
people in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya need immediate help. The United Nations also
warned for a famine in Yemen because of the war that is going on there.

The famine is a vicious circle. Because of climate changes there very little to no
precipitation. In most places in the Horn of Africa already 80% of the livestock died because
of the water shortage. Because also the camels died nomades cant get food because they
cant get to places to get food or water sources. Also the harvests fail. A lot of people have
eaten everything they had, including the seeds that were for next years harvests.

The biggest problem is in South-Sudan and officially that is the only place where a famine is
going on. That is because of the system the UN uses. Sudan is now in the heaviest
classification, Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (phase 5). That means that at
least 20% of the population doesnt have access to food, 30% of the inhabitants have to deal
with malnutrition and more than 2 in 10,000 people die in a day because of malnutrition. The
countries around Sudan are mostly in phase 3 and 4, but need immediate help before it
escalates to phase 5.

Giro 555 collects money to help people in disasters. The first time that the Netherlands had a
national action because of a famine in Africa was in 1984, until now 42 actions have been
held. The Dutch inhabitants collected 800 million euros in total, thanks to this support lots of
people survived disasters all over the world. There is also an action for the famine in Africa in
2017, right now the help is aimed at helping the victims until they are able to provide
themselves with food again. Aids organisations use the Giro555 money for food, water,
sanitation and hygiene, healthcare, and for economic support.