News & Updates
Man Charitable Trust
Performance dashboard
21 July 2011
Charitable Trust supports emergency response to escalating crisis in East Africa
More than 10 million people are now facing starvation in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia as a result of the worse drought in the last 60 years. The drought has withered crops, killed cattle and led to massive increases in food prices. Malnutrition rates have soared above the emergency threshold threatening communities in the region, leaving women and children most vulnerable.
The Man Charitable Trust’s Urgent Appeals Committee has agreed a donation of £100,000 to Merlin. Merlin is the UK's leading charity specialising in international health, sending medical experts to the frontline of global emergencies.
Our donation will support their emergency response in Somalia where they have been operational since 2003. These established links allow them to operate efficiently and effectively in an extremely volatile environment. This is a notoriously difficult place to live with the community facing a lethal combination of drought, starvation, civil insecurity and poverty that threaten their livelihoods and health. Despite these challenges Merlin is providing health and nutrition services to 90,000 people including 18,800 under the age of five through six health facilities and 15 outreach villages.
The people of Somalia are desperately in need of help and we are delighted to have been able to respond to Merlin’s appeal.