NRC project officer Key Kennedy is handing out food at a food distribution in Ngop, South Sudan. Photo: Albert Gonzalez Farran/NRC

Lifesaving aid to people facing starvation

Ingvild Vetrhus|Published 04. Apr 2017|Updated 06. Apr 2017
The Norwegian Refugee Council works around the clock to provide lifesaving aid to people facing starvation in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria.

Drought and conflict have displaced millions of people, and four countries are facing an extensive humanitarian crisis. We are on the ground in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria, helping communities affected by food crisis.

Read more about how we define hunger, and when hunger becomes a disaster here.

This is what we do:

Famine in South Sudan

Famine has struck South Sudan. We are on the ground, delivering live-saving aid to people in need.

Posted by NRC - Norwegian Refugee Council on 31. mars 2017

 

Yemen

War has reduced access to food and water for 17 million people in Yemen. After vital equipment was destroyed at the Hodeidah city port, the gateway for food that covers 70 per cent of Yemen's imports came to a halt, leaving food stocks dangerously low.

Close to 19 million people need humanitarian assistance just to survive. The ongoing conflict has displaced 3 million people.

We have supported over 1.3 million people in Yemen since the start of 2016, and we continuously strive to:

  • provide shelter
  • distribute food
  • provide clean water
NRC provides water to displaced people in Yemen. Photo: NRC

    

Somalia

Somalia is experiencing its worst drought in 20 years. A staggering 440,000 people have been displaced since November as a result. People are dying of malnutrition. In the worst affected areas, crops have been wiped out, livestock has been killed, and families are forced to sell their belongings for food.

Available donor funding has allowed NRC to scale up and reach 210,000 people with cash support. Two coordinated NGO partnerships will allow the organisation to reach 800,000 people with cash and clean water in the coming weeks. Across Somalia, the Norwegian Refugee Council works to:

  • give shelter
  • provide financial support
  • distribute food
  • provide clean water
As a result of drought, serious food shortage is the most critical problem facing local households in South and Central Somalia. The Building Resilient Communities in Somalia project (BRCiS) is funded by the Department for International Development (DfID) and aims at improving the resilience of vulnerable communities targeting more than 30,000 households across Somalia. The project supports locals with shelter, water and hygiene facilities, as well as livelihood support. Photo: Nashon Tadon

    

South Sudan

Four out of ten people depend on humanitarian aid to survive in the country that has been ravaged by war for over three years. When the rainy season arrives in the coming weeks, 60 per cent of the roads in the country will become impassible, and access to communities in need will be restricted.

We are working to:

  • distribute food
  • provide clean water
  • prevent outbreaks of disease
NRC project officer Fadzai Manyere is coordinating with local leaders in Ngop, South Sudan. Photo: Albert Gonzalez Farra/NRC

    

Nigeria

Over seven million people are affected by the food crisis in the areas around Lake Chad. The UN reports that 1.9 million people have fled their homes in Nigeria. Over half of the displaced people are children.

The Norwegian Refugee Council is working to:

  • hand out food stamps
  • provide training in food production
  • assist start-ups of small businesses
NRC hygiene promoters conduct health check on a child. Photo: Rosalyn Velds/NRC