July 20th, 2012, marks the passing of one year since a catostrophic drought and famine were declared in Somalia and the broader Horn of Africa region. At the peak of this historic crisis, more than 12 million people were in need of immediate aid and over 1,000 refugees - most of them Somali - were arriving each day at Dadaab Camp in Eastern Kenya. One year on, our partners at CARE are calling on governments and students alike to take action to stop the repeated crises in the region. 


[Above: Refugees in Dadaab, the world's largest refugee camp. Photo: CARE]

"Humanitarian interventions since 2011 have helped to prevent excessive deaths but in 2012, families are still struggling to feed themselves and rebuild their livelihoods,’ said CARE’s East and Central Africa Regional Director Emma Naylor-Ngugi in a press release issued this week. "Rain predictions for 2012 are fair but cannot be guaranteed; even the slightest risk of poor harvests, continued displacement due to conflict or a rise in commodity prices could see families in need of our help once again." 

While drought conditions have been improving, the humanitarian crisis in Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa region is being fueled by a complex series of factors and millions are still at risk, CARE argues. 


[Meet Rahma, 14, an at-risk orphan and beneficiary of CARE's programs in the Horn of Africa. Photo: CARE.]

"The communities we work with in the Horn of Africa region are still very vulnerable,’ said Naylor-Ngugi, ‘if the harvest is again poor this year, if conflict persists in preventing aid from reaching vulnerable communities in Somalia, and if long term investment is not prioritised emergency responses may again be necessary. However, we should not have to reach crisis levels before taking action. By investing in longer term interventions that protect people’s assets and supporting them to cope and develop resilience to the continued challenges of food insecurity in the region we should be able to turn this cycle around." 

We're calling on young leaders and their communities across the world to  helpaddress and prevent the continual cycles of crisis in areas like the Horn of Africa. The lessons learned and positive impact made in 2011 cannot be ignored. We can - and must - take a stand against these ongoing crises and support CARE in bringing long-term rebuilding and renewal to Somalia, the Horn of Africa and beyond.

We're raising critical awareness and funds to support CARE's work in these regions by asking you to make a bone for the One Million Bones challenge. Our vision: to create a visual petition against these ongoing crises by covering the National Mall in Washington, D.C. with 1,000,000 handmande bones created by students. Every bone you send us triggers a $1 donation - up to $500,000 - for CARE. Learn more here and pledge to make a difference today!