Questions about how to help Somalia – where to send money, if you can send in-kind donations, where to volunteer, etc. – are starting to show up on various boards, such as YahooAnswers. So, here’s the answers to those questions:
- There are several UN agencies working together to address the regional crisis. UNHCR, the refugee agency, has a page on its website detailing what aid specific amounts of money will buy for its effort in Somalia. UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, is also seeking assistance (US citizens, donate here).
- The World Food Programme has a full page detailing its efforts in the region and is collecting donations.
- Oxfam is accepting donations for its efforts to alleviate the drought in the region, which was the key cause of the famine. It is providing both emergency water supplies and leading efforts to build more sustainable water resources and practices.
- The International Committee of the Red Cross has been in Somalia, working alongside the Somali Red Crescent Society, since the 1970s. The two will be opening ten new feeding centers, expanding services in existing feeding centers, and launching a program specifically geared toward malnourished children under five and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. You can find out more, including how to donate, here.
- The International Rescue Committee has operations in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia that run the gamut from supplying water to providing medical screening in the refugee camps.
- Mercy Corps has emergency operations in northeastern Kenya, and teams in Ethiopia and Somalia as well providing food, water, and other assistance.
ReliefWeb is tracking the crisis (as well as those in other countries).
Also see:
Fund Raising For a Cause or Organization
How to Make a Difference Internationally/Globally/in Another Country Without Going Abroad
Volunteering To Help After Major Disasters.
Ideas for Funding Your Volunteering Abroad Trip.
Details on volunteering abroad (volunteering internationally).
This is great info. Thanks a lot.