We recently received the following report from one of our partners in the Afar region:
We visited as deep into the affected district as possible on Saturday 13th November going into the rural area first by vehicle across grazing plains and then by foot seeking the displaced people. Estimated at around 30 to 35,000 people, they have had to move several times, passing through many districts, as fighting has encroached further into their territory.
There are reports of raiders destroying everything in their path. Villages and small towns have been razed to the ground and people have been killed. Several houses and places of worship have been set on fire.
For the past 2 weeks there has been no way to access food for these people, groups of males are sent out to desperately search for anything for their families. One group said they had been walking for 12 hours without any success, they left behind pregnant wives whose feet were too swollen to walk and starving children and grandparents. Some people have goats and sheep they could sell for food, but there are no markets as they have been destroyed.
The most urgent needs facing displaced people and host communities are:
- Food
- Shelter
- Health Services to assess malnutrition, treat disease and attend to pregnant and delivering mothers
- Clean drinking water
- Continuing children's education
We know that by focusing our efforts through our strong local partnerships we can reach the forgotten, make a significant impact and save lives.
We have set up an Emergency and Recovery Fund, to ensure we can continue to support our partners by responding to their immediate needs. This will enable them to continue providing their life-saving emergency support and, longer term, it will fund important recovery projects, so that people can begin to rebuild their lives.
