Famine Awareness Rally| SATURDAY, AUGUST 27th | 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Our request for a permit to rally at the State Capitol in St. Paul has been approved!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27th | 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

We will meet at the south steps of the State Capitol Building
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in St. Paul.

The following are our goals for the rally:

  • Raise awareness on the humanitarian crisis 
  • Lobby the State Department via Congress to remove aid restrictions especially those that specifically bar non-profits from working in specific regions in Somalia 
  • Speak out against aid being used as a weapon to squash political opposition in parts of East Africa.
  • Depoliticize food: the drought and food crisis in East Africa is a global food security issue 
  • Aid with dignity: we are anti-poverty porn and we urge the media and aid agencies to respect the women, men and children affected by the famine and drought. 
  • Sustainable aid models: even as we give aid, let us support aid organizations that don’t hinder the growth of local economies

We have created a static page here—-> St. Paul, Awareness Rally

Minnesota’s response to famine different for Somalia in 2011, Ethiopia in 1984

Daniel Abebe“It pains me that the world is watching as Somalia experiences extreme famine. Is the world watching as a country is wiped out? Why is there no outcry?” Daniel Abebe asks.

Back in 1984, Abebe saw a dramatically different response when famine hit his home country, Ethiopia. Then he was a graduate student in Minnesota, working at the university hospital. Today he’s a university dean at Metropolitan State University. The Daily Planet spoke to him on Minnesota’s responses to famine in Ethiopia in 1984 and in Somalia today.

[…]

Abebe, who headed the local Ethiopian organizing relief committee spoke to churches, schools, universities and Rotary clubs. The  famine, he said, presented itself as a perfect opportunity to “save” Ethiopians.

Commending the Somali diaspora’s fundraising efforts, Abebe urged everyone to get involved: “The Somali diaspora cannot deal with this on their own. They could raise several million dollars among themselves, but this alone will not be enough. We need a global response. This is an opportunity for the world to demonstrate that we care about humanity; and not just about the war of terror.”

Click here to read article in its entirety.

Donating to Drought and Famine Relief in East Africa

According to the United Nations, the Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years, and nearly 11 million people in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti are in need of life-saving food assistance. For the first time since 1984, the UN has officially declared a famine in the country. Somalia is hit particularly hard due to conflict and response failure. In Somalia alone, 29,000 children under 5 have already died of starvation in last 90 days.
WHAT ARE THE NEEDS?

  • Food: Emergency life-saving food assistance to all the impacted areas.
  • Health: Drought puts millions at critical health risks. Malnourished bodies have weakened immune systems and measles and Cholera outbreaks will claim more lives without intervention.
  • Sustainable solutions: After stabilizing the crisis, the international community must invest in the worst hit areas and support sustainable development.

Donate now: Making a financial contribution is the best way to help, as supplies can be purchased locally at a low cost. Food donations harm local businesses and the high shipping costs makes these contributions inefficient. After evaluating various relief agencies in East Africa based on services delivered, reach, administrative costs, and ability to fill critical gaps, we encourage people to donate to the following organizations. These organizations address a variety of needs efficiently and they each designate at least 89% of contributions to aid.

Volunteer. Contact aid agencies working in East Africa to see how you can volunteer your time and skills.

  • Amoud Foundation | www.amoudfoundation.com
    Operating 12 feeding centers in the worse hit famine areas of Somalia, including: Bay, Bakol, Gedo and Afgoi areas.
  • ARAHA | www.araha.org
    Operating food distributions in the Horn of Africa, and delivering non-food items such as tarps for making shelters, cooking utensils, and other essentials to those displaced. Volunteers wanted. 
  • African Future | www.theafricanfuture.org
    Working with the Global Enrichment Foundation and Hope for Nations to distribute food to individuals and families that have been denied access across the Somali border. Volunteers wanted.
  • Doctors without Borders (MSF) | www.doctorswithoutborders.org
    Operating 3 medical-nutritional programs in Ethiopia and Kenya and 9 programs in south-central Somalia.
  • Mercy Corps | http://www.mercycorps.org/hornofafricahungercrisis
    Mercy Corps teams in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya are responding to the hunger crisis by distributing food and water and expanding critical relief efforts in a way that builds local markets. Mercy Corps is on the ground helping more than one million people in the region survive. 
  • Oxfam | www.oxfam.org/eastafrica
    Has a reputation for supporting sustainable projects that look at long term solutions. Working in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia
  • Save Somali Women and Children | http://bit.ly/SaveSomaliWomenChildren
    SSWC is a grantee of the Global Fund For Women, is distributing Nutrition Kits to help mothers fend against the malnutrition and Dignity Kits to provide essential women’s hygiene items, the lack of which poses serious health risks and compromises their dignity.

We have created a static page with the above information —-> What You Can Do.

This is not an exhaustive list. Please comment below with recommendations, and keep checking back for updates.