Across East Africa, conflict is forcing families to flee their homes and leaving them dependent upon humanitarian aid for survival. New and recurring disasters – including political instability, conflict, depleted harvests, and disease – are disrupting communities, displacing people from their homes, and creating huge humanitarian challenges.

In conflict-affected areas, food relief has become people’s main source of food but there isn’t enough to meet the need. COVID-19 has created additional challenges for food distribution in the region. An estimated 28 million people, including 17.5 million children, need urgent help. Malnutrition is becoming a public health emergency.

In South Sudan, as a result of ongoing sporadic violence, over half of the country’s population are food insecure. 4.1 million people have been displaced from their homes. An estimated 220,000 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

Support is urgently needed to scale up World Vision’s humanitarian response in the region and to make sure life-saving aid can reach children and families in need. The underlying causes of food insecurity may be different across each country in the region but the common issue is food insecurity, which will worsen without a significant increase in support and response.

World Vision community development projects throughout East Africa and beyond focus on a range of areas including food and nutrition, clean water and sanitation, healthcare, education, child protection and livelihoods support.

One example is income-generating activities in refugee settlements in Uganda, enabling vulnerable families without a way to earn income to become self-reliant and support their families.

$50 could deliver clean water to families

$90 could provide nutrition supplements for malnourished children

$150 could provide food assistance to families