Stop Famine. Save Lives - UNICEF Australia

War and drought have left children facing deadly famines in Somalia, Nigeria, Yemen and South Sudan. We have a small window to prevent a massive loss of life. Nearly 1.4 million children are severely malnourished but if we act now, we can deliver emergency aid and save young lives.

Donate now

Famine is not a word UNICEF takes lightly. It means families are facing extreme food shortages, one third of children are acutely malnourished and people are starving to death.

Parts of South Sudan, Yemen, Somalia and Nigeria are on the brink of famine right now. Children are already dying from malnutrition, hunger, thirst and disease but we can still stop the worst of this unfolding catastrophe.

Your emergency donation can give children:

Sachets of therapeutic food - a peanut paste specially formulated with the micronutrients children need to survive and grow.
Access to mobile health clinics for lifesaving treatment and immunisations.
Safe water, sanitation and hygiene supplies to stop the spread of disease.

“There is hope for children. Watch how UNICEF helped baby Umara recover.”

- Maiduguri, Nigeria

Parents are going to extraordinary lengths to help their children survive but brutal conflict and extreme weather have pushed them past breaking point.

In Nigeria, Boko Haram’s violence is forcing farmers off their lands and crushing the food supply.
In Yemen, ruthless attacks on ports are preventing communities from importing food, while two years of war have left the country’s health system on the verge of collapse.
In South Sudan, conflict has forced families to flee from their homes, assets and livelihoods, leaving parents unable to buy food for their children.
In Somalia, a severe drought has left crops and livestock withering into the dirt.

These crises are hitting children the hardest. Without enough decent food to eat, they’re succumbing to severe acute malnutrition and left vulnerable to cholera, measles and other diseases as they search for scarce and unsafe water.

UNICEF needs you now. Together we can provide life-saving nutrition, water and medical care to save children’s lives.

DONATE NOW

MORE OF THE CRISIS IN IMAGES

A field that was once a source of food, energy and life. Is today parched dry.

UNICEF teams are working around the clock to save as many lives as we can as fast as we can. But without more supplies of therapeutic food and medicine, our best efforts will not be enough. We have less than half of the funds we need to get the job done.

1.4 million children are severely malnourished and at imminent risk of death.

We cannot do this without you. Please give generously now.

Your donation will help fund UNICEF's emergency response for children in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria. In the unlikely event that we receive more funds that we need to respond to these massive emergencies, UNICEF will direct your donation to similar emergency programs.

From every dollar donated to UNICEF Australia in 2016, 72 cents went directly to programs that support children, while 21 cents were invested in fundraising to support more programs and 7 cents covered the essential costs of our office, staff and administration.

Stop Famine. Save Lives.

Your emergency donation can give children:

We’re reaching children, fast.

In South Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria and Somalia this year, UNICEF has: