Sunday, July 24, 2011

Famine in South Somalia



Yesterday the UN declared a famine in South Somalia. More than 11 million people, that is more than the populations of Houston and of New York combined, are in desperate need of food, clean water and basic sanitation.

With budgets and programs getting cut in Congress, it is going to become more difficult to make sure that immediate aid gets to the people that need it most.

Please sign the ONE petition below or call your local senator and urge your friends to do the same. Your voice matters and can save lives.


The petition says: Dear Congress, As you make difficult choices in the budget, please protect programs that save lives and help the world's poor pull themselves out of poverty.

Many people look back on previous droughts and wonder whether things ever will change. Does aid really make anything better?

Well, to answer that question, we've got tons of proof that aid DOES work.

For example, a ONE study found that in Ethiopia millions of people will be able to survive this drought because of early warning systems that were put in place with the help of USAID. And since this warning system was able to predict the drought early one, the Ethiopian government was able to distribute food well before the crisis hit.

If that doesn't convince you, another astonishing fact is that the number of malnourished people in Ethiopia has fallen from 71% in 1992 to 46% today due to a focus on growth in the agricultural sector.

For less than 1% of the US budget (YES, if you didn't know that is a miniscule amount of money going towards aid) families are able to feed themselves and children are more able to grow up healthy and strong.

The House is scheduled to make tough budget decisions as early as next week regarding the FY2012, so lets act fast!

Ways to act:
1. Sign the petition:
2. Call your congressional leader
Here's How:
3. Tell your friends and family

-Gabrielle Gurian

SOURCE: ONE.ORG/THEBORGENPROJECT.ORG