Rise Against Hunger responds to sudden and ongoing crises to meet immediate needs of affected populations and support the transition toward recovery. We have responded to emergencies by delivering food assistance, nutrition, water filters and hygiene kits to those displaced by natural disasters and man-made crises.
In building the resilience of vulnerable people, Rise Against Hunger is working hand-in-hand with a host of organizations to ensure that our meals and other life-changing aid can reach communities in crisis effectively and according to need.
Recent Emergency Relief Initiatives
In a Time of Escalating Need, Our Response to the Venezuelan Migrant Crisis in Colombia
Venezuela’s political and socio-economic crisis over the past 5 years has led to poor living conditions, hyperinflation and reduced access to food and other necessities in the country. The Venezuelan government has been staunch in its stance against accepting humanitarian assistance. What has resulted is one of the largest mass displacements in South America’s history, as 4.8 million Venezuelans are now migrants and refugees, with 1.6 million Venezuelans residing in neighboring Colombia.
The number of Venezuelans migrating to neighboring countries continues to rise, with more than 200,000 Venezuelan migrants entering Colombia just in the first two weeks of 2020. With such a large number of displaced persons entering, host communities have become strained.
Rise Against Hunger has responded by teaming up with our partner, the e-Rotary Club of Houston, to assist those migrants in Colombia. We have provided 435,270 people with at least one hot meal a day for the past year. We’re supporting makeshift soup kitchens in Cucuta and on the humanitarian route, the beneficiaries of which are 14% children, 21.5% women and 64.5% men. In Colombia, 27 locations are serving Rise Against Hunger meals and locally procured food commodities.
To learn more about the crisis and our efforts in collaboration with e-Rotary Club of Houston, please read this article published by Rotary.
270,000+ Affected by Flooding in Somalia
In October 2019, heavy and excessive rainfall caused significant flooding in northern, central and coastal Somalia. In addition to crop damage, lives were disrupted, leading to several fatalities and over 270,000 people displaced. Working with partners Muslim Aid and ARAHA, we have collectively dispatched 10 shipping containers, totaling more than 2.85 million Rise Against Hunger meals to be distributed to those displaced by the crisis. These 10 containers can support about 4,200 families.
Additionally, we are working with partner ARAHA to increase food security in the Zaylac area of Somaliland. We have supported 700 of the most vulnerable families by providing each family with a food basket of 25 kilograms of rice, 6 liters of cooking oil, 15 kilograms of sugar and 3 kilograms of dates. These nutritious ingredients enable those families to prepare meals for themselves, providing some reliability in their lives at a time of disruption.
For more information about our emergency relief efforts, please visit our blog.
Our Responding to Emergencies Initiatives
Below, find descriptions of our ongoing Emergency Response initiatives around the globe.
Southern Africa School Feeding Initiative (SASFI)
Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar, Swaziland and Zimbabwe
The goal of the Southern Africa School Feeding Initiative (SASFI) is to increase the resilience of school-age children and improve their access to education.The project supports more than 48,000 primary school age students in Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar, Swaziland and Zimbabwe each year. Through the initiative, more than 14,200,000 meals each year are distributed in 183 schools. So far, the school feeding initiative has proven to be critical in encouraging attendance, increasing enrollment and providing access to a balanced, nutritious meal to children affected by the El Niño drought. Read more.
South Sudan Relief and Recovery Operations
South Sudan
In partnership with Crosscurrents International, we are providing inpatient therapeutic feeding treatment to those facing malnutrition due to Kala Azar in South Sudan. Kala Azar results from parasitic infection, worsened by poor access to medical treatment, civil unrest, HIV/AIDS and food insecurity. We distributed Plumpy’Nut, a ready-to-use therapeutic food, to treat 517 cases of malnutrition. We are providing ongoing technical support and the necessary financial resources to continue to provide access to treatment. Additionally, with Mothering Across Continents, we are also supporting a comprehensive project to provide school meals, construct secure food storage and support local markets through local food purchases for a school feeding program. More than 1,300 school-age children at the Old Fangak community school will have access to school lunch, acting as a catalyst for enrollment, attendance and retention rates to increase for both boys and girls. Read more.
Venezuela Migrant Crisis Relief
Colombia
Millions have fled Venezuela in light of deteriorating economic conditions and political turmoil. The migrant route into Colombia is both long and dangerous, taking the lives of many and leaving survivors in dire need of life-saving aid. With in-country partners, Rise Against Hunger supported community kitchens and shelters to provide critical aid to refugees who have fled to Colombia. Through this initiative, Rise Against Hunger distributed 5,400 Venezuelan migrants in Colombia with a hot meal each day. Read more.
Rise Against Hunger works year-round to prepare for and respond to crisis around the globe.
Please consider making a donation to our emergency relief fund today to provide critical aid to those affected by disasters.
