This World Humanitarian Day (19 August) is a time to acknowledge all the aid workers who are helping to save lives in the Horn of Africa and to support them in their work, ChildFund Australia CEO Nigel Spence said today.

ChildFund staff and volunteers in Kenya and Ethiopia are working around the clock to get food, water and medical support to children and families in drought-affected areas. By helping people in their own communities, families will not be forced to leave their homes and take their children on long, arduous journeys to overcrowded camps in search of food and water.

ChildFund is targeting its food distribution to very young children and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers who are most at risk of malnutrition. In the past fortnight, ChildFund has delivered 112 tons of Unimix (nutrient-rich porridge for children under five) and 5,000 litres of cooking oil to the Turkana, Marsabit and North Rift districts of northern Kenya, and enough food for 17,000 people in Ethiopia’s Siraro district.

This arduous and dangerous work is undertaken by staff and volunteers who have lived and worked in these communities for decades. ChildFund staff in all countries overwhelmingly are local people committed to serving their communities – 95% of ChildFund staff are nationals with assistance provided by a handful of expatriate colleagues. 

The current effort in Kenya and Ethiopia is made possible thanks to the generosity of Australians, who have already donated more than $250,000 to ChildFund’s Horn of Africa appeal.

“We are incredibly grateful for the generous support of Australians who have been quick to dig deep for this emergency,” says Mr Spence. “However, this food crisis is expected to continue for months to come. This World Humanitarian Day we are asking people to take a moment to think of the children and families who are suffering and to do whatever you can to help.”

To donate to ChildFund Australia’s Horn of Africa Food Crisis Appeal, visit www.childfund.org.au

For regular updates on the Horn of Africa crisis from ChildFund staff on the ground, subscribe to ChildFund Australia's blog.

To request images or an interview with Nigel Spence, please contact Jacqui Ooi, senior communications officer, on (02) 8281 3125.

Photo by Jake Lyell/ChildFund