£200,000 pledged as Jersey responds to East Africa famine

Saturday 18 March 2017

Jersey Overseas Aid has announced grants totalling £200,000 in response to the worsening food crisis in South Sudan and other East African countries.

Last month famine was officially declared in South Sudan - it’s the first time in six years that a famine has been officially declared anywhere in the world.

Deputy Carolyn Labey, Chair of Jersey Overseas Aid, said: “Jersey will not stand by while people die of starvation. We are in constant contact with the major relief agencies, and are directing our response to the places it is needed the most.”

The declaration of famine in technical terms means that the situation has reached level 5 of the Integrated Phase Classification of Food Security.

In practical terms, it means that people are actually dying of hunger, as the UN Secretary General António Guterres warned: "The lives of millions of people depend on our collective ability to act. We have heard the alerts. Now there is no time to lose."

PICTURE: Courtesy of © ICRC

Jersey Overseas Aid has been following the deteriorating situation since last year.  

In 2016 JOA made eight emergency grants of £30,000 to agencies working to alleviate the crisis. The additional £200,000 they have now announced will be split between the British Red Cross and Plan International.

The money will pay for food rations, hygiene kits, water purification tablets, shelter items and essential medical supplies.

Both Plan International UK and the British Red Cross expressed their gratitude to Jersey Overseas Aid.

Tanya Barron, CEO at Plan International UK, said: “We are incredibly grateful for this grant from Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA), which will go towards helping millions of people on the brink of starvation in the drought and famine affected areas of East Africa.”

Ben Webster, Head of Emergencies at the British Red Cross, said: “We would like to thank the people of Jersey and the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission for their support in reaching those in need.”

PICTURE: Courtesy of © ICRC

A major cause of the famine is the past three years of conflict in the area, which has led to widespread displacement of people, economic collapse and disruption to agriculture.

However, the crisis is said to have been exacerbated by severe drought, which has ruined crops and killed millions of livestock in other countries in East Africa.

The announcement from JOA coincides with the launch of an appeal for East Africa by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).

Jersey Overseas Aid is encouraging Jersey residents who wish to help, to donate through the DEC appeal, which supports 13 major UK relief agencies.