DART volunteers Jared Marley from Canada, Cliff Overton from Australia, and Forward Operations Manager Ed Cox from Scotland, have recently returned from Kenya where they worked with the Kenyan government and the UNHCR to streamline the distribution of Disaster Aid Products.

Disaster Aid Canada, in partnership with other countries in Disaster Aid International is responding to the ongoing crisis and has focused on the needs of refugees arriving in Dadaab.  There are currently 100 Family Survival Boxes - consisting of emergency shelter and essential items including cookware and blankets - in Kenya, being deployed, as well as an additional 384 en route.  These boxes will be deployed to the newly constructed Kambios camp in Dadaab. The UNHCR has recognized the excellent quality of the Disaster Aid Family Survival Pack and has earmarked them for those most at risk - including pregnant or lactating women, the ill or infirm, the elderly, people suffering mental illness, and those at high risk of gender based violence. 

Drought conditions within the Horn of Africa are affecting over 12 million people across Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Djibouti.  Drought, combined with social and political unrest in Somalia has caused famine conditions in some areas of southern Somalia.  Currently thousands of Somali people have fled to the Dadaab Refugee Complex in North-East Kenya.  The complex, consisting of three active camps and two under construction currently houses nearly 450,000 people, with 800 refugees arriving daily.

Somali refugees escaping political unrest, violence, and famine are making the 50 km trek from the Somali border to Dadaab with no support and many are perishing along the way.  Among the refugees are a high number of malnourished children, many of whom are unescorted or orphaned.  The plight of many people within the Horn of Africa is very serious and without much needed aid many will continue to suffer and perish in the coming months.

Please click on DART Interview  for a short overview of the situation on site from our Canadian Disaster Aid Response Team member, Jared Marley, from Victoria BC.

While we are completing the original deployment of 500 boxes to Africa, the donations coming in are allowing us to put yet  another shipment into Africa.  As soon as we know how much is donated by the deadline of September 16^th  (Government matching grant program), we will ship more.

Many clubs have put Disaster Aid donations into their budget for the year already and  I can only suggest that you endeavour to get them in by the September 16^th deadline to get them involved in the matching grant program.  This way your money helps more people by being matched by Canada.

Last fall we sent a container into the Southern Sudan and we are again working with the people of the newly independent country to provide one or two more shipments to aid them as they are also affected as part of this terrible famine and displacement happening there now. 

Whatever we can do for them will make a difference to their lives.

Don
Don Ohlgren
Disaster Aid Canada