Oxfam hosting live-streamed press conference in Nairobi on March 22 to draw attention to urgent hunger crisis
- WHO: Key leaders from humanitarian agencies from South Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, the United Nations (OCHA), the European Union (ECHO) and Oxfam speaking and available for questions
- WHEN: March 22, 2022 from 3pm-5pm EAT (8am-10am EST) at Oxfam headquarters, Atrium building, Chaka Road, Nairobi, Kenya
- WHERE: Live zoom link available to all journalists https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dFgiNBysSyiB61AxZbvtdA
The East Africa region is facing an alarming hunger crisis –one of the biggest unfolding humanitarian disasters facing the world today. Over 44 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance as a persistent drought – the worst on record - hits Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, while South Sudan has suffered a fifth consecutive year of severe flooding, leaving over 70% of the country in urgent need of aid.
In Southern Somalia, 90% of the country is in a severe drought that will likely leave almost half (44%) of all Somali children under the age of five acutely malnourished this year.
In 2010, the international community waited for too long to respond to the deteriorating crisis in the Horn of Africa that affected more than 13 million people. Around 260,000 people were killed in the ensuring famine.
Today, almost twice as many people (21.8m) in Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Somalia are now hungry as a result of more frequent, severe, and pervasive climate-fueled disasters and conflict which have had devastating impacts on their lives and livelihoods.
In 2017, an unprecedented and comprehensive collective humanitarian response managed to avert famine. The escalating crisis in Ukraine will have repercussions on the East Africa food crisis, and threatens to divert the world’s attention away from the huge humanitarian effort that is needed right now.
Key Speakers:
- Gabriela Bucher - Executive Director, Oxfam International
- Burhan Jama Yusuf - Program Director KAALO Aid Development Puntland, Somalia
- Modi Mbaraza: Founder & Executive Director, Young Women Christian Association of South Sudan (YWCA)
- Dr. Gezahegn Kebede Gebrehana, Country Director, Oxfam in Ethiopia
- Jane Meriwas - Founder & Executive Director, Samburu Women Trust (Kenya)
More to be announced
Contact Information
For those attending in person, please send RSVPs to Levi Gikandi [email protected] and Mary Muia [email protected]