A health emergency fundraising appeal for $186.7 million has been launched by the World Health Organisation, WHO, Foundation to deliver lifesaving medical care and humanitarian support for over 60 million people in the drought-hit Sahel and greater Horn of Africa.
The joint appeal is in response to a deep concern for millions of people in the two regions amidst extreme food shortages, insecurity, climate change, and the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Foundation explained that the sum is required to provide relief for the populations facing extreme food shortages and malnutrition caused by, drought, conflict, and rising international food prices.
The Sahel region is currently facing one of the largest, fastest-growing, and longest-lasting crises in the world. Access to health has become more limited due to COVID-19, damaged health facilities as well as increasing violence in the region due to security incidents, attacks, and kidnappings.
In 2022, more than 33 million people in North- East Nigeria and across Burkina Faso, the Far North of Cameroon, Chad, Mali, and Niger, will need life-saving assistance โ an increase of more than 25 per cent over the last five years.
Millions in the Horn of Africa are also facing extreme hunger across the region due to various causes: the worst droughts in decades in some areas while there is severe flooding in other areas, compounded by years of conflict and instability, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and rising food prices.
Over 28 million people across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, are experiencing extreme hunger, making them increasingly vulnerable to malnutrition, infection, disease, and death.
According to WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,: โHunger is a direct threat to the health and survival of millions of people in theโฏSahel andโฏgreater Horn of Africa, but it also weakens the bodyโs defenses and opens the door to disease.โฏWHO is looking toโฏpeople around the worldโฏto support our work on the ground responding to this dual threat, providing treatment for malnourished people, and defending them against infectious diseases.โ
Also speaking, WHO Africa Regional Director, Dr Matshidiso Moeti stated: โThe worsening humanitarian crises in the Sahel and across the Horn of Africa that have driven millions of people to extreme deprivation and to the brink of starvation require urgent action. However, humanitarian assistance, including emergency health services, has been severely impaired by chronically low funding. Without an immediate response, millions of lives risk being lost as these emergencies slip off the worldโs attention.โ
In his own contribution, WHO EMRO Regional Director, Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, said: โAlong with countering the dire consequences of malnutrition, WHO is helping the regionโs already vulnerable countries prepare for and respond to outbreaks of cholera, measles, and malaria, among other diseases and serious health concerns which will be exacerbated due to this health crisis.
โIn the spirit of the Triple Billion target of GPW13 to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable, WHO is delivering crucial life-saving services to afflicted communities. But we can only continue to do so with generous donations to the Health Emergency Appeal. We need all the help we can get, and we need it now.โ
The Chief Executive Officer, WHO Foundation, Anil Soni, said: โMillions of people in the greater Horn of Africa are at risk of starvation as countries face food shortages, not seen in decades. The WHO Foundation urges anyone who can, to donate to the Health Emergency Appeal to ensure WHO can continue their important work delivering vital healthcare operations to prevent starvation and disease and save lives.โ
Outbreaks of infectious diseases are a significant concern in both regions, due to the high level of displaced families forced into unhygienic living conditions, combined with low vaccination rates and disrupted health service availability.
In the Sahel region, more than 110,000 cases of cholera were recorded in 2021, and yellow fever transmission is at a 20-year high. In the greater Horn of Africa, countries face concurrent outbreaks of measles, cholera, yellow fever, Dengue, Malaria, and meningitis, among others. There are around 5 million refugees and 12 million Internally Displaced people in the countries in the region.
The Foundationโs appeal will support the WHOโs efforts on the ground to increase the capacity of health workers, prevent the spread of disease, provide essential medicines and emergency nutrition, and vaccinations, and set up mobile health centres for people forced to leave their homes.
Along with countering the health consequences of malnutrition, WHO is helping countries to detect, prepare for and respond to outbreaks of diseases like cholera, measles, and malaria.
