30 Hour Famine

Somalia

Somalia has long suffered conflict and violence that have affected millions. In 2011, the worst drought in 60 years struck the Horn of Africa and famine was declared in Somalia, with hundreds of thousands of families forced to leave their homes in search of food.

Although the famine has officially ended, life has not improved for the majority of Somali families, as conflict and food shortages continue. With the highest infant mortality rate in the world and one in every six children suffering acute malnutrition, Somalia is a country in crisis.

The facts:

• Every year more than 70,000 children in Somalia die before the age of five
• Only one in four children are able to attend school
• Two of every three children lack access to safe drinking water, putting them at high risk of waterborne diseases
• Life expectancy in Somalia is 51 years
• Approximately 1.3 million Somalis are displaced within the country, while more than a million live as refugees in neighboring countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia

World Vision has been working in Somalia since 1980, providing refugees in need with emergency food, shelter, and healthcare as well as drilling wells and providing sanitation and hygiene assistance. In an ongoing effort to reduce malnutrition and child mortality rates, we provide mothers with access to critical healthcare and deliver food assistance to families struggling with hunger.

Another important aspect of our work is a focus on peacebuilding through projects designed to help families recover from years of civil conflict.

Please call 1.800.7.FAMINE (1.800.732.6463) to designate your funds to Somalia.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is burdened with extreme poverty compounded by political strife and natural disasters. In recent years, government mandates have caused hundreds of thousands of people to be plunged into homelessness and chronic hunger. And in 2007, massive flooding hit northern Zimbabwe, resulting in widespread displacement.

Today, Zimbabwe is slowly recovering from a decade of economic and political chaos. Agricultural exports are down sharply, and the country is experiencing hyperinflation and acute fuel and product shortages. Poor agricultural policies, the declining economy, and high unemployment have all contributed to Zimbabwe’s failing healthcare system, chronic malnutrition, and severe food insecurity.

The facts:

• Life expectancy in Zimbabwe is just over 39 years — the fourth lowest in the world
• More than 1.3 million Zimbabweans (10 percent of the population) are living with HIV or AIDS, and more than 1 million children have lost one or both parents to the disease
• Zimbabwe’s HIV prevalence rate is among the world’s 10 highest
• More than 72 percent of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day

World Vision’s efforts in Zimbabwe (then called Rhodesia) began in 1973 with the sponsorship of 71 children living in a Salvation Army-supported institution.

Today, World Vision provides assistance for nearly 70,000 sponsored children in Zimbabwe. Our development programs throughout the country include HIV prevention and care, water and sanitation, and refugee assistance at the Tongagara Refugee Camp.

Please call 1.800.7.FAMINE (1.800.732.6463) to designate your funds to Zimbabwe.

Burundi

From 1994 to 2006, Burundi suffered a violent civil war that killed more than 300,000 people and displaced nearly 1 million. As a result of this conflict, nearly two-thirds of the population now struggles to survive below the poverty line.

The political situation is still unstable, and rising food prices make it difficult for poverty-stricken families to survive — particularly with the continued threat of floods, droughts, and landslides that destroy crops and livelihoods.

The facts:

• Less than one-third of the population in Burundi gets the food they need to stay healthy
• More than one in three children younger than 5 are underweight as a result of poor nutrition
• More than four in five people struggle to survive at or below the global poverty level ($1.25 a day)
• Many families spend up to three-fifths of their income on food, leaving little for other needs
• More than one in four people don’t have access to clean water

In response to the civil unrest that began in 1994, World Vision started providing food assistance to displaced families, offering support to those affected by violence, and helping orphans and vulnerable children rebuild their lives.

Today, we continue to partner with families, equipping them to improve their incomes and provide nutritious food, clean water, healthcare, and education for their children.

Please call 1.800.7.FAMINE (1.800.732.6463) to designate your funds to Burundi.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The location of one of the world’s most devastating civil wars (1996-2003), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) faces many challenges today, including ongoing conflict and large numbers of internally displaced families.

Four years after the civil war ended, another rebel group began challenging the Congolese army, causing many in the east of the country to flee their homes. Since 1996, nearly 1.4 million people have been displaced and more than 5 million have died as a result of the conflicts. This long history of instability has left families struggling to obtain basic necessities.

The facts:

• Only one in six children in the DRC attend secondary school — a drop of 70 percent from primary school
• One in five children die before their fifth birthday — the ninth-worst child mortality rate in the world
• More than 1.7 million people are internally displaced, and more than 450,000 are living as refugees in other countries
• Less than half of the population has access to clean water

World Vision began working in the country (then called the Belgian Congo) in 1958 by helping to establish a Christian home for girls who would otherwise have been forced into marriage at a young age.

Today, World Vision has 24 development programs in the DRC, including the HIV and AIDS Mitigation Initiative, which aims to improve quality of life for people living with HIV and AIDS, and the Food Security Rehabilitation Project, which seeks to improve the availability of and access to food for 5,000 vulnerable households.

Please call 1.800.7.FAMINE (1.800.732.6463) to designate your funds to Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Haiti

Families in Haiti are still struggling to rebuild from the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010, killing more than 220,000 people, displacing at least 1.5 million, and devastating the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Situated in the middle of the “hurricane belt,” Haiti regularly experiences severe storms and natural disasters including floods, hurricanes, mudslides, and earthquakes. High population density and poor infrastructure make the effects of these emergencies even more severe. In the face of extreme poverty, families face a host of challenges in recovering from disasters and preparing for future ones.

The facts:

• An estimated 3 million Haitians do not get the food they need to stay healthy
• The growth of more than one in four children younger than 5 is stunted by malnutrition
• More than half the population struggles to survive below the global poverty level ($1.25 a day)
• The 2010 earthquake and the tropical storms that followed devastated 70 percent of Haiti’s agriculture, which is still recovering

Before and since the 2010 earthquake, families in Haiti have struggled to get nutritious food, send their kids to school, and access basic healthcare. The earthquake left many of these families homeless and jobless — plunged even deeper into poverty.

World Vision has been working in Haiti for more than 30 years. When the earthquake struck, we responded immediately by distributing life-saving food and supplies and providing care and access to basics for people in displacement camps. Today, we remain committed to long-term development in Haiti as we equip families to recover and build stronger communities and a stronger country.

Please call 1.800.7.FAMINE (1.800.732.6463) to designate your funds to Haiti.

Niger

Niger is one of the hottest countries on earth, with the Sahara Desert stretching across four-fifths of its terrain. But for years, the rain that is critical for survival has failed to come.

The people of Niger are painfully familiar with drought, hunger, and extreme poverty. More than half the population lives under the global poverty line of $1.25 a day. Many families migrate in search of better opportunities, and children often drop out of school to help support their families, despite the fact that education is their only chance to create a better future.

The facts:

• Niger is one of the most impoverished countries in the world — ranked last of 182 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index (a measure of general well-being)
• Three in five people don’t have access to clean water
• One in four children do not attend school
• An estimated 600,000 people in Niger are living with HIV or AIDS, and more than 57,000 children have lost one or both parents to the disease

World Vision has been responding to needs in Niger for nearly 40 years. During recent emergencies such as flooding and famine we have distributed food, bed nets, medical kits, and soap, and distributed grain to cereal banks to help families struggling during food shortages.

We also work toward the long-term well-being of children in Niger through resources such as new wells for clean water, training to help parents maintain vegetable gardens and livestock, and educational support including new classrooms, training for teachers, and school supplies.

Please call 1.800.7.FAMINE (1.800.732.6463) to designate your funds to Niger.

Kenya

Families in Kenya continue to struggle as a result of the food crisis that hit the Horn of Africa in 2011. At its height, a total of 3.7 million Kenyans were impacted; over 2 million remain vulnerable and in need of food, medical care, and other aid.

High malnutrition levels threaten children’s health, often with permanent consequences. In Kenya, more than one in three children under age 5 suffer from stunting as a result of malnutrition. Families also struggle to access basic healthcare and education for their children, becoming trapped in a cycle of poverty.

The facts:

• 2.5 million children in Kenya have lost one or both parents
• More than 1.5 million adults and children are living with HIV or AIDS
• About half the population struggles to survive below the global poverty level ($1.25 a day)
• Two in five people do not have access to clean water

World Vision has been providing assistance and support in Kenya since 1974. Relief for flood-affected and drought-stricken Kenyan communities includes emergency food supplies, medicines, livestock, seeds, blankets, and shelter. World Vision also offers ongoing assistance through the sponsorship of more than 42,000 children, including programs that focus on healthcare, water systems, and education, to help communities become self-sustaining for the long term.

Please call 1.800.7.FAMINE (1.800.732.6463) to designate your funds to Kenya.

Mauritania

Low rainfall in 2011 and 2012 led to a severe drought across the West African Sahel region, hitting hard in countries such as Mauritania. The drought has created massive food shortages, affecting an estimated 700,000 people and leaving as many as 1 million children at risk of acute malnutrition.

Hundreds of rural villages have been abandoned by families who have farmed and raised livestock for generations, but have now fled to cities in search of jobs. Mauritania’s economy, along with its people, is in crisis.

The facts:

• One in four children in Mauritania do not attend school; the adult literacy rate is just over 50 percent
• One in three infants have a low birth weight, putting them at high risk for malnutrition
• Only one in four children have access to improved sanitation
• Lack of access to clean water affects more than half of all children, especially those in rural areas, causing high rates of diarrhea and other infectious diseases

World Vision first began working in Mauritania more than 40 years ago, providing drought relief to families in need. Partnering with the people of Mauritania, World Vision has focused on improving access to education by helping establish standards and monitor school quality, providing much-needed desks to expand existing schools, and constructing early childhood centers and training preschool teachers.

In response to the current food crisis caused by the drought, World Vision is helping to provide emergency food distribution and nutrition programs for children. We are also drilling wells and providing families with access to clean water, as well as providing agricultural training to help ensure long-term food security.

Please call 1.800.7.FAMINE (1.800.732.6463) to designate your funds to Mauritania.

Ethiopia

Droughts and dwindling natural resources in Ethiopia have contributed to widespread food insecurity. One-third of the population of 84 million lives below the poverty line, and more children suffer from malnutrition than almost anywhere in the world; it’s so common that about half of the country’s children suffer from physical stunting.

In July 2011 the United Nations declared famine in the Horn of Africa, the region where Ethiopia is located. As a result of international intervention and the arrival of rain, the declaration has now been repealed, but the crisis continues for 3.2 million people — including vulnerable children — who have not yet been reached and remain in desperate need.

The facts:

• 5 million children in Ethiopia have lost one or both parents
• Less than one-third of all Ethiopians have access to clean drinking water
• Largely as a result of discrimination, more girls than boys drop out of school and only one in three girls are literate
• Life expectancy in Ethiopia is only 59 years

World Vision began working in Ethiopia more than 40 years ago to help refugees from the civil war in Sudan. Since then, World Vision has drilled wells during widespread drought in the 1970s, delivered famine relief during the 1980s, and started recovery programs in the 1980s and 90s.

Today, more than 232,000 children in Ethiopia, along with their families and communities, benefit from World Vision child sponsorship. Among other programs, World Vision is constructing irrigation systems, providing agricultural training to help strengthen food security, and improving access to health services.

Please call 1.800.7.FAMINE (1.800.732.6463) to designate your funds to Ethiopia.

United States of America

In our own backyard, one in five children are growing up in families with incomes below the federal poverty level. Even before the recession, America had one of the highest poverty rates in the industrialized world.

Today there are a staggering 16 million children living in poverty in the U.S. — children like Jefferson, whose mother, Maria, works hard but struggles to make ends meet with a low-paying job. Moms like Maria must often choose between buying food and paying for other essentials like healthcare and school supplies, leaving their kids hungry and struggling to concentrate in school. These families need a hand up to break the cycle of domestic poverty.

The facts:

• More than 46 million Americans are living below the poverty line — the most since the late 1950s
• Of the 25 richest industrialized nations, the U.S. has the highest childhood poverty rate (second only to Mexico)
• More than 16 million children live in food-insecure households

World Vision works in urban and rural areas across the United States to support children and families affected by disaster, job loss, and poverty. By providing family food kits as well as school supplies, household and personal care items, and mentoring and advocacy support for young people, we are helping our nearest neighbors build a better future here at home.

Please call 1.800.7.FAMINE (1.800.732.6463) to designate your funds to United States.

South Sudan

The world’s newest nation, South Sudan, gained independence in 2011 after decades of conflict. While progress has been made, the country faces tremendous development challenges.

More than half of the population lives in poverty, with more than four in five people living in rural areas where drought constantly impacts food security. A steady influx of refugees creates a continual threat of conflict stemming from tribal and cultural tensions. And with one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, high rates of illiteracy and malnutrition, and limited resources, South Sudan is one of the most hazardous places in the world for children.

The facts:

• About 51 million people in South Sudan are living below the poverty line
• Less than half of all children are enrolled in elementary school (only Afghanistan has a lower level of enrollment)
• Risk is high for infectious disease ranging from malaria and dengue fever to typhoid fever, diarrheal diseases, and other waterborne illnesses
• Less than one-third of the population has access to clean water

World Vision began working in what is now South Sudan in 1971. Since then, we have helped fight malnutrition and hunger by helping communities apply new farming techniques and by providing emergency supplies during times of conflict and drought.

Today World Vision programs are helping to improve access to emergency aid, healthcare, clean water, and small business training.

Please call 1.800.7.FAMINE (1.800.732.6463) to designate your funds to South Sudan.