Children's Emergency Fund
During and after an emergency, every minute of every day puts children at greater risk of violence, sexual exploitation and hunger – and girls are often the worst affected. Your support for our emergency work could help children in devastated communities’ get the urgent and lifesaving help they need to prepare for and respond to disasters.
Our experience shows that girls are less likely than boys to continue their education during conflict and instability, or to return to school after a crisis. As the pandemic continues, millions of girls are now missing out on their education, and levels of sexual violence and child marriage have increased.
For children already living through conflict, displacement and natural hazards, coronavirus has meant a crisis upon crisis. It has left countries already blighted by insecurity, including Ethiopia and South Sudan, facing a risk of severe famine. As we urgently scale up our response to all the emerging situations, your donation is vital to saving lives and protecting children. Please, will you give a gift today to support the Children’s emergency Fund?
Haiti
responding to August’s devastating earthquake
In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on 14th August, our teams are on the ground, working to urgently assess the needs of children and their families.
The earthquake comes at a time when the country is already grappling with a fragile political situation, widespread hunger, and health services stretched to the brink by coronavirus.
We are extremely concerned about the toll that yet another crisis will take on children and their families. The impact of the earthquake will be felt for months and years, especially for the most vulnerable, and it may take years for families to rebuild their lives.
With your support, our teams can provide essential support to the hardest-hit communities, reaching children and meeting the specific needs of girls, who are among the worst affected in crises like these.
ETHIOPIA: CONFLICT, DISPLACEMENT AND HUNGER
The outbreak of violence in Tigray, Ethiopia, has left millions of people facing life-threatening hunger, at a time when many communities have already been impacted by the pandemic. Around 5.2 million people need food assistance, more than 90% of the population.
Our teams are working to reach children and their families who have been displaced by the conflict. We're training healthcare workers, so they can screen and treat cases of malnutrition in children under five, and distributing essential items including water purifier tablets, soap and dignity kits for girls, so they can manage their periods – but we urgently need your support to reach even more families.
SOUTH SUDAN: A CRISIS ON A CRISIS
South Sudan is currently facing a crisis on a crisis. While the coronavirus pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on children around the world, the situation in South Sudan is rapidly deteriorating.
The additional strain on a country already struggling with displacement and conflict, is putting many families at further risk of poverty, displacement and hunger. Approximately 60% of the population are predicted to face acute food shortages this year, including 1.4 million children under the age of five and almost 500,000 women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
We're rapidly scaling up our programmes, including food distributions, child protection and school meal programmes to reach those most in need.