The people in East Africa are facing a state of emergency for the escalation of the hunger crisis in the region, and Canadian Foodgrains Bank refuses to stand by and not do what they can to help.

This June, Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFB) is joining forces with 11 other leading Canadian aid agencies to raise funds for people living in East Africa who are experiencing a hunger crisis that hasn't been this detrimental in years.

The federal government has announced it will match all donations made by individual Canadians to the Humanitarian Coalition until June 30, up to a total of $5 million.

The hunger crisis in this region is not new, it's been this way for years because of natural disasters and severe economic disruptions. But now, because of the eruption of violence and conflict in places like Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the crisis has sunk even lower and more people are being affected.

As a member of the Humanitarian Coalition, CFB is responding through its network of members and local partners to help provide emergency assistance in East Africa.

The conflict and erratic weather have forced more people than ever before to flee their homes to look for safety and food security.

In Sudan alone, 1 million people are displaced internally due to the current violence, and 330,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries like South Sudan—a country that already had 2.3 million of its own people displaced internally due to conflict and flooding.

Places like Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Kenya have been experiencing a drought since 2020, and it has continued over the years and is still a current issue today in 2023.

More than 23 million people are facing severe shortages of food and water.

"People's lives and livelihoods have been completely destroyed," says Foodgrains Bank humanitarian program manager Stefan Epp-Koop. "When you're there in person and seeing the devastation, meeting people who have had to flee their homes and are now living in makeshift camps, or children suffering from severe malnutrition...it's deeply impacting to witness. Life-saving assistance is urgently needed in the region."

Epp-Koop visited Somalia a month ago and saw the impact the prolonged drought had on the people.

It is a "crisis upon a crisis" as more people are being forced into conditions of severe hunger, says Foodgrains Bank executive director, Andy Harrington.

"Right now, we’re seeing the impact of strong wildfires here in Canada, and we’re devastated for the people who have lost so much because of it. At the same time, we’re grateful for the social supports that are available here in Canada to help people get back on their feet. It’s a sobering reminder of the impact of climate change on livelihoods and safety—something our global neighbours living in places like Kenya and Somalia have experienced for years without those same social supports. With an estimated 828 million people in the world experiencing hunger, time is no longer on our side. There is an entire generation of people growing up and all they know is prolonged drought, failed harvests and hunger. We must do all we can to change that as fast as possible."