The Humanitarian Coalition and its seven member agencies welcome the Government of Canada announcement that for every eligible donation made by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities between March 17 and June 30, 2017, it will contribute an equivalent amount to the Famine Relief Fund.

More than 20 million children, women and families in South Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Uganda are suffering and in need of urgent humanitarian aid and the Humanitarian Coalition’s member agencies are on the ground providing life-saving assistance.

The Humanitarian Coalition is urgently calling on Canadians to donate to its joint fundraising campaign: “Stop Famine Together. Over the next month, the Canadian Government matches donations dollar for dollar into its Famine Relief Fund, meaning that donations will go twice as far to fight famine and save lives.

The characteristic resilience of the communities who live through regular cycles of drought, or survive despite harsh conflict conditions, has been pushed to its breaking point. Without help, they will not survive. Together, we can save more lives.
 
QUOTES
Martha Nyandit, a 42-year-old mother of six from South Sudan
“Sometimes I feel so weak, I worry I will not have enough milk for the baby. Sometimes I’m so weak I feel like I’m going to collapse; I can’t see when I stand up.”

Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie
“Over 20 million men, women and children are at risk of starvation if we do not act now. Canadians have always demonstrated great compassion when it comes to humanitarian crises. I encourage all Canadians to donate to the registered Canadian charities of their choice. Together, we can make a difference and bring relief to people who need urgent help.”

Richard Morgan, Executive Director of the Humanitarian Coalition
“We are already seeing the devastating effects this crisis. There has been scattered media coverage showing the toll conflict and drought has taken on millions of people. We urge the Canadian media to raise awareness of this dire situation and help us encourage Canadians to take advantage of this matching fund and donate to our joint appeal. Together, we can save more lives.”

Canadians can make a donation and find more information at www.together.ca

About the Humanitarian Coalition
The Humanitarian Coalition is Canada’s only joint appeal mechanism for international disasters and emergencies. It is made up of seven leading humanitarian agencies: Canadian Lutheran World Relief, CARE Canada, Islamic Relief Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Québec, Plan International Canada, and Save the Children Canada. The members of the Humanitarian Coalition work together to reduce unnecessary competition, better educate the public on humanitarian needs, increase the impact of Canadian humanitarian responses and reduce administrative costs. Collectively, they are present in 150 countries.