Rise Against Hunger responds to sudden and ongoing crises to meet immediate needs of affected populations and support the transition toward recovery. We have responded to emergencies by delivering food assistance, nutrition, water filters and hygiene kits to those displaced by natural disasters and man-made crises.
In building the resilience of vulnerable people, Rise Against Hunger is working hand-in-hand with a host of organizations to ensure that our meals and other life-changing aid can reach communities in crisis effectively and according to need.
Recent Emergency Relief Initiatives
20 Million+ People Under Threat by Famine
In February 2017, the United Nations raised the alarm on the threat of famine in regions of South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and northeastern Nigeria, impacting 20 million+ people. Rise Against Hunger has responded, enabling nearly 32,000 people across South Sudan, Somalia and Uganda to access vital food assistance programs. In South Sudan, we have provided access to life-saving treatment for severe acute malnutrition in an in-patient therapeutic feeding program implemented by Crosscurrents International. We have also supported a sustainable community development program with Mothering Across Continents in Old Fangak.
With partner ADRA International, we are working to reduce hunger, improve nutrition and increase food security among the drought-displaced pastoral populations of Baidoa, Somalia, through a food voucher system. Food vouchers are a reliable, timely and secure way to provide assistance to vulnerable individuals.
In Uganda, we have a long-standing commitment to support food security in two refugee settlements: Kiryandongo and Rwamwanja. We have provided meals to primary schools in the settlements, and in one of the host communities. Our volunteers donated the necessary resources, combined with the efforts of the international community and the Government of Uganda, to provide access to clean water to the refugee communities in and around Kiryandongo. To learn more, please read our blog posts on South Sudan, Somalia and Uganda relief efforts.
Photo Credit: Frank Spangler/ADRA Canada
Immediate Response to the Catastrophic 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season
During this unusually active hurricane season, Rise Against Hunger responded immediately by providing relief and recovery assistance to communities in parts of the coastal U.S. and the Caribbean nations reeling from back-to-back hurricanes: Harvey, Irma and Maria.
In the U.S., we worked with multiple partners to provide hygiene kits, protein bars, hand sanitizer, warehouse space and nutritious meals for those impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in Texas and Florida.
We have teamed up with our in-country partners to provide critical relief in the form of Rise Against Hunger meals to evacuees in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Dominica and the island of St. Marteen, airlifting meals when necessary.
Overall, we have provided support for nearly 54,000 people. We have distributed, pledged or have en-route nearly 248,000 meals. For more information about our emergency relief efforts, please visit our blog.
Our Responding to Emergencies Initiatives
Below, find descriptions of our ongoing Emergency Response initiatives around the globe.
Southern Africa School Feeding Initiative (SASFI)
Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar, Swaziland and Zimbabwe
The goal of the Southern Africa School Feeding Initiative (SASFI) is to increase the resilience of school-age children and improve their access to education.The project supports more than 48,000 primary school age students in Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar, Swaziland and Zimbabwe each year. Through the initiative, more than 14,200,000 meals each year are distributed in 183 schools. So far, the school feeding initiative has proven to be critical in encouraging attendance, increasing enrollment and providing access to a balanced, nutritious meal to children affected by the El Niño drought. Read more.
South Sudan Relief and Recovery Operations
South Sudan
In partnership with Crosscurrents International, we are providing inpatient therapeutic feeding treatment to those facing malnutrition due to Kala Azar in South Sudan. Kala Azar results from parasitic infection, worsened by poor access to medical treatment, civil unrest, HIV/AIDS and food insecurity. We distributed Plumpy’Nut, a ready-to-use therapeutic food, to treat 517 cases of malnutrition. We are providing ongoing technical support and the necessary financial resources to continue to provide access to treatment. Additionally, with Mothering Across Continents, we are also supporting a comprehensive project to provide school meals, construct secure food storage and support local markets through local food purchases for a school feeding program. More than 1,300 school-age children at the Old Fangak community school will have access to school lunch, acting as a catalyst for enrollment, attendance and retention rates to increase for both boys and girls. Read more.
Rise Against Hunger works year-round to prepare for and respond to crisis around the globe.
Please consider making a donation to our emergency relief fund today to provide critical aid to those affected by disasters.
