Oxfam International Pandora's Kharis cause for Elaphebolion

We are very proud to announce that Oxfam International has become Pandora's Kharis' Elaphebolion 2017 cause, and specifically their efforts to alleviate the impact of the hunger crisis in (Southern) Africa.

Over 21 million people in Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, Kenya and South Sudan alone are suffering from hunger. The situation in South Sudan is particularly acute, as 3.2 million people are fleeing the terror of the civil war. Extreme poverty and a persistent drought are exacerbating the situation. The United Nations has declared a famine in certain parts of the country. This means that 2 out of every 10,000 people are dying from malnutrition every day--this is equivalent to 700 deaths daily among the population of Berlin.

The cause of the hunger in northern Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia is the most severe drought in decades. Some 80% of the livestock northern Kenya have already died. This is catastrophic for the people living in the region whose livelihoods depend on livestock. The situation is also dire in the countries around Lake Chad: 7 million people in Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger are suffering from food shortages, again caused by violence, poverty and drought.

The continent needs at least $4.5 billion for emergency relief, but just a fraction of that has been raised so far, even as analysis from Oxfam shows that an early response is far cheaper than a late one. The Horn of Africa – particularly Ethiopia – and much of southern Africa is in bad straits; and the weather is not the only factor at play. A country’s ability to cope depends partly on its public finances and ability to mobilize resources; for some, weakening currencies is making food imports more expensive, and conflict is making it difficult to move supplies around.

A five-country study commissioned by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) in Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Niger, Mozambique and Malawi estimated that response at four months after a failed harvest costs $49 per household, whereas response at six months after harvest costs $1,294 per household. A similar study in Ethiopia found that early commercial destocking (selling off animals while they are still healthy) was 137 times cheaper than waiting until herds are depleted then responding with imported food aid and restocking.

The deadline to donate is March 28th, 2017. You can do so by using the PayPal option to the side of the Pandora's Kharis website or by donating directly to baring.the.aegis@gmail.com. Thank you in advance!