What I saw there, what stayed with me, and what I need to share with you
now.

[ [link removed] ]Mercy Corps

[ [link removed] ][IMG]
I had the privilege of listening to Somali mothers share with me how they
made their long journey to camps like this one in Baidoa, in search of
food and water.


Dear friend,

[ [link removed] ]I recently traveled to Somalia to experience firsthand how Mercy Corps
is working with communities to address the ongoing hunger crisis.

I could see and feel the impact of rainless skies everywhere I went in
Somalia. The earth cracked below my feet. The air was hot and dry. In a
camp outside the city, I met people who had no option but to walk —
sometimes for weeks — to find food and water for their families.

I met two women in just one day whose children died from malnutrition on a
week-long journey on foot to find help. They had to bury them alongside
the road.

More than 7.8 million people, roughly half of Somalia’s population, are
hungry, and an estimated 386,000 children could die without urgent
treatment for severe acute malnutrition.


[ [link removed] ][IMG]
After difficult treks from their rural villages to the camps, many people
are malnourished and suffering from related illnesses. They seek
treatment, food, water, and shade from the hot sun in temporary shelters.


In the midst of these heartbreaking scenes, I also saw firsthand how,
despite limited resources, humanitarian organizations are rushing to
provide lifesaving assistance to millions of displaced people to try to
prevent the situation from worsening.

Here are some of the ways Mercy Corps is helping communities in Somalia
cope today, while laying the groundwork for people to thrive in the
future:


    We’re trucking in emergency drinking water for people and for their
precious livestock.
 
    We’re rehabilitating dried-out irrigation channels, employing
approximately 8,500 Somalis to complete this work so far.
 
    We’ve provided seeds to more than 11,000 farmers, and offered training
on climate-resilient agricultural practices.
 
    We’re distributing food, water, and cash — so that people can buy
exactly what they need most.


Mercy Corps has delivered lifesaving humanitarian assistance to almost
600,000 drought-affected Somalis in the last 12 months.


[ [link removed] ][IMG]
Mercy Corps distributes cash to help families purchase essential items
like food, medicine, and clothing, while supporting local markets.


I left Somalia feeling inspired by our work and by the people I met, but
the severity and weight of the crisis followed me home. The time to act is
now.

Since 2005, Mercy Corps has been working side-by-side with communities in
Somalia — and we’ll continue to be there, providing long-term support for
what comes next.

From wherever you are in the world, I
hope you’ll be there too — supporting us through your actions and
generosity and helping to fuel our work in Somalia and in 40+ countries.
[ [link removed] ]Please consider making
your very first donation to Mercy
Corps today. Together, we can achieve lasting change.


[ [link removed] ]Give today [ [link removed] ]▸


Thank you for being alongside us in this work.

Gratefully,

[9]Tjada D’Oyen McKenna [10]Tjada D’Oyen McKenna
Tjada D’Oyen McKenna,
Mercy Corps Chief Executive Officer

P.S. I hope you will take a moment [ [link removed] ]to read the full article about my
visit to Somalia and what Mercy Corps is doing to help. You can also
[ [link removed] ]follow me on Twitter for real-time updates.

[ [link removed] ]DONATE

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