Early in the morning of 14 August 2021, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti, causing hospitals, schools and homes to collapse, claiming over 2,200 lives and leaving communities in crisis. According to UNICEF, it has been estimated that about 1.2 million people, including 540,000 children, have been affected by the powerful earthquake.

The disaster caused damages in mainly the departments (or provinces) of Sud, Nippes and Grand’ Anse which were 125km away from the capital city of Haiti. There were severe damages to infrastructure, including shelters built from previous storms, buildings like hospitals, schools and churches, roads which were necessary for the community to carry out relief services and to recover. Several hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, while those still operating are overloaded, with a serious shortage of personnel and medical supplies to address growing health needs.

Social challenges emerged as gangs’ violent activities spread over the country urged the need to support on protection or security alongside the intervention like health, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), shelter, food security, children protection and education to the damaged area.

Before this earthquake, Haiti was already the poorest country in the Western hemisphere; about 65% of its population live under the national poverty line. Political instability has hindered the economic and social development.

According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, about 4.3 million people (44 percent of the population analyzed) were expected to be starving severely from September 2021 to February 2022. The worst situations were reported in Nord-Ouest, Centre (the Haut Plateau), Sud and Nippes, which are classified to be in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency). (Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Dated 12 Nov 2021)

ZeShan therefore made a relief grant to support World Vision’s relief work to address the pressing needs of health and nutrition, child protection, water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as shelter.

Deworming activities are on-going in schools  ©World Vision

Children friendly space.   ©World Vision

A deadly mix of conflict, COVID‐19, insect attack and persistent droughts have pushed more than 7 million people across six countries in East Africa to the very edge of starvation. According to UN reports, approximately 108,000 people there were under catastrophic famine‐conditions, a phase marked by critical acute malnutrition, starvation, destitution and death. This phase is understood in the humanitarian sector as the highest and most urgent Integrated Food Insecurity Phase Classification (IPC) of level 5. Additionally, almost 7.8 million people are exposed to emergency phase (IPC4), and if things worsen are one step away from famine. As many as 26 million are classified at “crisis level” (IPC3), where action is needed now to stop them sliding into emergency.

The region has endured substantial and widespread breeding of desert locusts since late 2019, resulting in loss of pasture and crops. Added to this, from June to December 2020, rising conflicts has exacerbated the food insecurity situation in the region. The Climate Prediction and Application Centre and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization have both made predictions of dry conditions and worsening food insecurity situation in 2021. Coupled with economic impact of COVID‐19, lockdowns continue to destroy livelihoods and push millions into desperation.

This challenging period could erode human and economic development gains that have been made towards the global Sustainable Development Goals across the region. The rising food insecurity also increases the risks faced by women and girls, including gender‐based violence and sexual exploitation and abuse.

In view of these pressing emergency needs, ZeShan Foundation made in the summer of 2021 three major emergency grants to support the ongoing famine-related relief operations in South Sudan and Ethiopia by three INGOs, namely Oxfam, World Vision and Medecins Sans Frontieres.  The relief efforts include provision of food relief, clean water and sanitation, emergency healthcare and protection of vulnerable groups, especially children and women.

Hundreds of people in Shire’s University IDP site live in an unfinished building, where they sleep, cook and eat. Many don’t have mattresses or blankets. ©Claudia Blume/MSF

It is one of the camp sites in Tigray region. Oxfam is providing life-saving aids, including food, water and hygiene kits to displaced people in Tigray since Jan 2021. ©Oxfam

Caregivers preparing nutritious food. ©World Vision