East Africa Fundraiser

More than 20 million people are facing starvation

Right now, countless people are experiencing famine-like conditions in places like Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Ethiopia. Conflict, violence, climate change, and economic shocks are driving the increase of hunger in this region.

Latest reports state that droughts in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia have left 23 million people without reliable access to food and water. Further compounded by the conflict in Sudan which has forced 1.4 million out of their homes, this is putting an added strain on neighbouring countries where lives are already at risk.

Islamic Relief is responding  with life-saving support for displaced, host, and vulnerable communities facing hunger across the region. We need your immediate help to provide food, water, and nutritional support to people who urgently need it.

Your donations were matched!

The Government of Canada announced that donations made to the Humanitarian Coalition were matched in support of relief efforts to combat hunger, climate-related droughts, and ongoing conflict in East Africa.

As a member of the Humanitarian Coalition, and the only Muslim organization amongst Canada’s top 12 aid agencies, your donations through Islamic Relief Canada to the East Africa Crisis Appeal between May 1–June 30, 2023 were matched up to a total of $5 million.

The Humanitarian Coalition has a combined presence in 150 countries and is uniquely situated to respond quickly in the face of disasters and emergencies.

What’s causing the crisis in East Africa?

There are three main drivers of this crisis – famine, conflict, and climate change.

In the past few years, severe weather, including the worst drought in 40 years in East Africa, has decimated crops, livestock, and water supplies. Economic instability and rising inflation globally has pushed more and more families into poverty.

However, ongoing conflict and insecurity remain the greatest cause of hunger. And now, the current crisis in Sudan has forced 1.4 million people to flee their homes and into neighbouring countries. This has pushed food insecurity to catastrophic levels.

East Africa is starving, with 29 million people facing severe food insecurity in this region alone. Oxfam estimates that one person is likely to die of hunger every 28 seconds in East Africa. Famine, armed conflict, displacement, political instability, disease, and economic decline have left millions more in need of humanitarian aid.

Islamic Relief is on the ground now

Collectively as the Humanitarian Coalition, member organizations are on the ground in every one of these countries working to deliver aid. Every single day people are dealing with severe hunger, and millions now face widespread famine if nothing is done to help them.

By supporting Islamic Relief, you’ll be helping to feed families across East Africa. Help us provide emergency support and work to ensure hunger no more for communities over the long-term. Your support will save lives.

Donate now to help the children, women, and families in need.

Islamic Relief works with communities to strengthen their resilience to calamities, and we provide vital emergency aid when disasters occur.

We help the impoverished access basic services, including education, water and sanitation, as well as healthcare. We provide lasting routes out of poverty through our sustainable development schemes. Our integrated approach to progress is transforming communities worldwide.

We tackle the root causes of poverty and make sure that the world’s most vulnerable people have real influence in both our programs and advocacy.

Our key values, of compassion, justice, custodianship, sincerity and excellence – a critical part of our Islamic faith - inspire us each and every day to create positive change and remember the sanctity of life.

In line with Islamic teachings on the value of every human life, we provide assistance to whoever needs it most, regardless of race, religion or gender. We work to transform and save lives of people in crisis both Canada and across the world.