Food crisis in Kenya forces children to eat scavengers

The ongoing food crisis in East Africa has shown no sign of improving. In Kenya, World Vision staff have witnessed how children and families are left with no choice, but to start eating scavengers like hyenas and vultures. World Vision Hong Kong is calling on the public to pay more attention to the worsening situation and to offer help to those in need.

The persisting hunger crisis in East Africa, including South Sudan, Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, has now left over 20 million people in urgent need of humanitarian food assistance. More than 3.5 million children are suffering from malnutrition. In Kenya alone, 2.7 million people are in food crisis and in need of assistance; the number has doubled since August 2016. Primary school children in 10 counties are out of school due to drought. More than 357,000 children and pregnant and lactating mothers are acutely malnourished.

World Vision staff in Kenya say it rained just 100 millilitres in 2016 in the county. Normal rainfall is 500 millilitres. Due to food shortages, children and families are forced to eat scavengers like hyenas and vultures. 9-year-old Naroo says, “Hyena is bitter. When we eat it, it gives us diarrhoea. But it’s the only food on the table.” Nearby, a group of women hold high the animals that had died in their village, singing a song of death. “We are dying. We are dying,” they sing. “Our animals are all dead, and we are next.”

World Vision has been working actively in the region, distributing emergency food aid, providing clean water and treating malnourished children, etc. And we need everyone’s help to end the food crisis.

Donations can be made through:

1. Online donation

2. Direct Bank-in (Hong Kong):

HSBC 018-554444-001

HANG SENG BANK 286-364385-004

BANK OF CHINA (HONG KONG) 012-883-0-002666-2

3. Crossed cheque: payable to “WORLD VISION HONG KONG”

4. Donation via 7-Eleven

Please send bank-in slip or crossed cheque together with your personal particulars to Freepost No. 69, World Vision Hong Kong (free postage) and mark “Africa Hunger Relief” on the envelope. Donations are tax-deductible with official receipts.

For enquiries, please contact our Donor Services Department on 2394 2394.

Published on 1 Jun 2017