FAMINE WATCH: We're sounding the alarm, {NAME}. Millions of lives are at risk across East Africa.

As Ramadan comes to an end, we are setting our sights on the worst drought in decades ravaging East Africa. [International Rescue Committee logo.](252B69bA2iUCMyB%252FTc06TzLKja870meZdT9Xui6XzxRVT8VMiYk/f4%252Fmad3v6pjEO2n%252B%252BLZpSmTFqQzOeOI9iUTPwgkghv6dR1Yc6jMoKDpRDpY%252FKpXJ5hQcjlVdyYU5CrudLrXh2qn5UKEhqWKEGcY0u%252F26seKq5sNQxcyUZZqwftqWT6s2lQ1MFXoRt5t3C%252F%252BApFkqqy0SGNpWbxHcsxpteG0117H75tjbKG%252Fk%252Fe3tXeyQuM7XeF9bUqy4QbLCaDHKR4y1CA%253D%253D?h=gWJQ9Bzvi8dTFpxSGYuC01fJMzastJG0NXIKUn58Mlg) Hi {NAME}, As Ramadan comes to an end, Muslims like myself around the world fasted during daylight hours. But for millions of refugees and displaced families who celebrated this year, they go without sufficient food every single day, all year long. This is especially the case for those in East Africa. Last month our team shared with you that 43,000 people were feared to be dead (and half being children under the age of 5) because of an ongoing drought that continues to hit Somalia. I wanted to personally follow up and provide you with some more information about how the IRC is responding and how your support fuels this work. While the region remains on the brink of famine, please be assured we are working night and day to support children and families in East Africa. The drought ravaging East Africa is the worst in decades. It is destroying crops and driving the cost of food to be out of reach for many families. In Somalia alone, 7 million people — nearly one out of every two people in the country — could be at risk of famine if aid is not scaled up to meet skyrocketing needs. Because of the help from supporters like you, the IRC is scaling up our support in areas hit hardest by drought including Mogadishu, Puntland, and southwest and central Somalia. [LEARN MORE: WHY SOMALIA IS FACING A CATASTROPHIC FAMINE »](252B69bA2iUCMyB%252FTc06TzLKja870meZdT9Xui6XzxRVT8VMiYk/f4%252Fmad3v6pjEO2n%252B%252BLZpSmTFqQzOeOI9iUTPwgkghv6dR1Yc6jMoKDpRDpY%252FKpXJ5hQcjlVdyYU5CrudLrXh2qn5UKEhqWKEGcY0u%252F26seKq5sNQxcyUZZqwftqWT6s2lQ1MFXoRt5t3C%252F%252BApFkqqy0SGNpWbxHcsxpteG0117H75tjbKG%252Fk%252Fe3tXeyQuM7XeF9bUqy4QbLCaDHKR4y1CA%253D%253D?h=gWJQ9Bzvi8dTFpxSGYuC01fJMzastJG0NXIKUn58Mlg) [IRC President David Milliband recently visited East Africa to bring a spotlight to this regional crisis. Here, he visits a women’s safe space in Eastern Ethiopia. ](252B69bA2iUCMyB%252FTc06TzLKja870meZdT9Xui6XzxRVT8VMiYk/f4%252Fmad3v6pjEO2n%252B%252BLZpSmTFqQzOeOI9iUTPwgkghv6dR1Yc6jMoKDpRDpY%252FKpXJ5hQcjlVdyYU5CrudLrXh2qn5UKEhqWKEGcY0u%252F26seKq5sNQxcyUZZqwftqWT6s2lQ1MFXoRt5t3C%252F%252BApFkqqy0SGNpWbxHcsxpteG0117H75tjbKG%252Fk%252Fe3tXeyQuM7XeF9bUqy4QbLCaDHKR4y1CA%253D%253D?h=gWJQ9Bzvi8dTFpxSGYuC01fJMzastJG0NXIKUn58Mlg) IRC President David Milliband recently visited East Africa to bring a spotlight to this regional crisis. Here, he visits a women's safe space in Eastern Ethiopia. {NAME}, with much of the world's attention turned elsewhere, we at the IRC are sounding the alarm that millions more lives are at stake in East Africa, where the current years–long drought has brought children and families dangerously close to famine. We've been in East Africa for over 40 years — we know how to respond to drought-related crises in the region: - Today, over 2,500 staff in the region are actively scaling up our programs to address the current drought and rising food insecurity. - In Somalia, water, health and nutrition programs reach 280,000 Somalis a year. - In Ethiopia, we reach 3.2 million people each year with vital support like emergency water trucking, a lifesaving intervention for children and families. - In Kenya, our teams deliver critical care to over 300,000 people a year, including nutritional support for malnourished children. [Drought is threatening livestock across East Africa, further reducing food availability.](252B69bA2iUCMyB%252FTc06TzLKja870meZdT9Xui6XzxRVT8VMiYk/f4%252Fmad3v6pjEO2n%252B%252BLZpSmTFqQzOeOI9iUTPwgkghv6dR1Yc6jMoKDpRDpY%252FKpXJ5hQcjlVdyYU5CrudLrXh2qn5UKEhqWKEGcY0u%252F26seKq5sNQxcyUZZqwftqWT6s2lQ1MFXoRt5t3C%252F%252BApFkqqy0SGNpWbxHcsxpteG0117H75tjbKG%252Fk%252Fe3tXeyQuM7XeF9bUqy4QbLCaDHKR4y1CA%253D%253D?h=gWJQ9Bzvi8dTFpxSGYuC01fJMzastJG0NXIKUn58Mlg) Drought is threatening livestock across East Africa, further reducing food availability. [LEARN MORE: WHY SOMALIA IS FACING A CATASTROPHIC FAMINE »](252B69bA2iUCMyB%252FTc06TzLKja870meZdT9Xui6XzxRVT8VMiYk/f4%252Fmad3v6pjEO2n%252B%252BLZpSmTFqQzOeOI9iUTPwgkghv6dR1Yc6jMoKDpRDpY%252FKpXJ5hQcjlVdyYU5CrudLrXh2qn5UKEhqWKEGcY0u%252F26seKq5sNQxcyUZZqwftqWT6s2lQ1MFXoRt5t3C%252F%252BApFkqqy0SGNpWbxHcsxpteG0117H75tjbKG%252Fk%252Fe3tXeyQuM7XeF9bUqy4QbLCaDHKR4y1CA%253D%253D?h=gWJQ9Bzvi8dTFpxSGYuC01fJMzastJG0NXIKUn58Mlg) Thanks to help from supporters like you, we are able to provide holistic nutrition, health, economic recovery and women's protection and empowerment services to children and families hit hardest by the drought. We are so grateful to have your support, {NAME}. Your generosity makes it possible to reach so many lives with life–saving aid. — Madiha Madiha Raza Senior Communications Officer, East Africa International Rescue Committee [P.S. If you're able to make a special donation today to help power the IRC's humanitarian response in East Africa and other crisis zones, we would be grateful for your support. All gifts are currently being 2X–matched »](252B69bA2iUCMyB%252FTc06TzLKja870meZdT9Xui6XzxRVT8VMiYk/f4%252Fmad3v6pjEO2n%252B%252BLZpSmTFqQzOeOI9iUTPwgkghv6dR1Yc6jMoKDpRDpY%252FKpXJ5hQcjlVdyYU5CrudLrXh2qn5UKEhqWKEGcY0u%252F26seKq5sNQxcyUZZqwftqWT6s2lQ1MFXoRt5t3C%252F%252BApFkqqy0SGNpWbxHcsxpteG0117H75tjbKG%252Fk%252Fe3tXeyQuM7XeF9bUqy4QbLCaDHKR4y1CA%253D%253D?h=gWJQ9Bzvi8dTFpxSGYuC01fJMzastJG0NXIKUn58Mlg) The International Rescue Committee | [Rescue.org]( 122 East 42nd Street, New York, New York 10168-1289 USA To ensure future delivery of IRC e-mails, please add our reply address updates@rescue.org to your Address Book. [Click here]( for U.S. federal and state compliance notices [Manage my preferences]( or [unsubscribe](