Don’t turn away

Posted on August 16, 2011 by redcrossyouth

Nowadays, I feel bombarded by information. Facts in interviews I read online, pictures of my friends on Facebook, videos, snippets of interviews on the evening news, dates and times in my email to keep track of….sometimes I feel that my principal daily task is simply to keep track of all of this information, to learn how to sort it in my mind, and then to discern what I should do with it (the last being the most difficult task of all).

I don’t doubt that many of you feel the same way. I also don’t blame you for the fact that, under such circumstances, the Cape Horn famine, officially declared on July 20th, has likely only entered the periphery of your world. But though it is difficult, we must force ourselves to hear the facts about this famine and to view the videos and pictures of the starving children because the truth is, millions across the Horn of Africa are currently worrying about a lot more than the daily stresses of an over-influx of information and demanding emails.

So here it is: One third of Somalia’s population is at risk of malnutrition due to the worst drought in sixty years and to the unstable political situation in Somalia. These facts hold true for Somalia, though it is not to be forgotten that millions are also suffering of starvation, malnutrition, and recent outbreaks of cholera and measles in Ethiopia and Kenya. An estimated 29,000 children have already died.

The American Red Cross recently pledged $1 million to help alleviate the situation in the Cape Horn of Africa in conjunction with the Somali Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The latter currently supports 18 nutritional centers in Somalia.

To help relieve the incredibly dire situation in Somalia and to aid our effort, please visit www.redcross.org and click on “Donate.”

In solidarity,
Alison Inceu
[email protected]