In this 12 page policy brief, 14 Pan African, national and regional networks call on African Governments to give US$50 million before the AU Pledging Conference.
Signed up to the policy brief are East African Farmers Forum, SADC Council of NGOs, Solidarity for African Women’s Rights, West African Civil Society Forum, East African Civil Society Froum, State of the Union Coalition, FAMDEV, African CSO Platform on enabling environment, State of the Union coalition, CESC-Mozambique, WANEP, FEMNET, Oxfam and COVAW among others.
For the very first time, individual Governments are being challenged to give actual amounts based on the capacity to pay. The campaign is using the schedule of assessed contributions adopted by African heads of states in July 2010. Not charity that is needed, but taking responsibility that is required
Africa must act for Africans now in the Horn of Africa
Policy briefing and call to action to African Union, Regional Economic Communities, Governments, civil society organisations and citizens ahead of the African Union International Pledging Conference, August 25th 2011.
Contact us at africansact4africa@gmail.com for more details on this campaign
Summary Once again, millions of African citizens face famine and the destruction of their livelihoods. At this moment, 12 million men, women and children are in dire need of food, clean water and basic sanitation. The crisis is set to worsen and expand over the coming months. This suffering flies in the face of commitments made in continental, regional and national policy frameworks and human rights conventions. The crisis is symptomatic of a failure to address the root causes of food insecurity in the region, which mean that in a world with enough food for everyone 12 million people are suffering the worst food crisis in Africa for many years. It is incomprehensible that in 2011 anyone should die of starvation. This was a preventable catastrophe. It is an extreme example of our broken food system. Droughts may be inevitable in this region, but disasters are not.
Despite this, the overall international donor response to this humanitarian crisis has been slow and inadequate. A handful of African Governments and the African Union have contributed both finance and food to the UN humanitarian effort to date. Citizens in South Africa and Kenya have rallied to make contributions. However collectively, these contributions are too modest to decisively change the conditions for the millions who need this support. The rest of Africa has yet to make a meaningful contribution. According to UN figures released on 29th July, $2.5bn is required to meet immediate needs and $1.3 billion is still required.
Based on an already agreed formula for contributions to the African Union, Governments in Africa must contribute at least US$50 million towards the AU Humanitarian Disaster Fund to provide global leadership. West African states and Southern African states meeting separately this month under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) could realise at least US$ 11 million each towards the humanitarian appeal.
Today marks the African Union declared August 15th a Pan African day of solidarity with the people of the Horn of Africa. Ten days later on August 25th, the African Union is convening an emergency International Pledging Conference to mobilise the resources required. A series of national and regional actions is required to ensure that this conference is successful in making a contribution to the funding shortfall and identifies the medium to long-term policy actions required.
The scale of the challenge before Africa today elevates the August 25th Conference to the significance of the All African Peoples conference of December 1958 where African states and nationalist movements rallied together to confront colonialism and imperialism. African Governments, Multi-Lateral Institutions and citizens must similarly rally together today to confront the suffering being experienced. Africa is not safe if the people of the Horn of Africa are not safe.
The humanitarian response is essential so that lives are saved now. However, African Governments and the international community urgently need to break the chronic cycle of food insecurity, which leaves affected communities limping from one crisis to the next, by addressing the long-term problems that make people vulnerable in the first place. This policy brief and call to action is endorsed by twelve Pan African networks and coalitions, Regional NGO Councils from West, Southern and East Africa and non-governmental organisations. It outlines opportunities and actions needed before the International Pledging Conference takes place on August 25th 2011. Introduction
The Horn of Africa is currently experiencing a severe drought, with 2011 being recorded, in some locations, as the driest or second driest year on record since 1951. The devastating impact of the drought has been compounded by rising food prices, creating a food security and acute livelihood crisis for over 12 million people. The regions that are worst affected are in northern Kenya, southern Ethiopia, and south-central Somalia.
Successive poor rains this year and recurrent droughts have dramatically weakened the resilience of pastoralist and farming communities. The UN has declared famine in 2 regions of Somalia which will spread to the entire southern and central part of the country unless a significant increase in aid is available and it is able to reach those in need. Severe malnutrition rates have been recorded in the worst affected areas, and in displaced populations these are up to four times higher than standard emergency thresholds. In certain areas, 60 to 90 per cent of livestock have died, meaning that, even after the dry season ends, people’s livelihoods will have been destroyed.
But the drought comes on top of a deeper crisis of poverty and marginalisation. Some of the worst affected areas and communities have endured decades of economic under-development. In particular, the pastoralist way of life is under severe pressure across the region. Pastoralists argue that their vulnerability to drought has grown because of restricted access to key resources, in particular grazing areas traditionally relied on during dry seasons. Competition and conflict over resources is increasing, often resulting in conflict and loss of life. If a catastrophic crisis across the region is to be averted there must be urgent action now to ensure that appropriate and timely assistance is delivered in a way that saves both lives and livelihoods. There is an opportunity now for African states to make a valuable contribution to this desperate crisis and a definitive statement that Africa can respond to crises on its own doorstep. Saving Lives: Immediate humanitarian response National governments must be at the heart of efforts to increase food availability in drought-affected areas. Strategic grain reserves in Ethiopia and Kenya should prioritise getting food to those populations most affected by drought. Import taxes and restrictions must also be temporarily removed to increase in-flow of resources for humanitarian purposes and, where necessary, there must be stronger engagement by regional associations such as the East African Community (EAC) and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). This can help ensure effective regional co-ordination, building on the positive examples of strong engagement from within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in response to the drought in West Africa in 2010. However, in such crisis circumstances, international support and funding will be key to ensuring lives currently at risk are saved. The UN World Food Programme (WFP), together with other agencies involved in food distribution, must build upon government-led interventions, ensuring that adequate food supplies arrive in time for the critical hunger gap period between now and October. At the same time, however, in some areas markets are still functioning, and effective redistribution of food, supported by cash-based programming, will also play an important role in ensuring that food that is available in the market can reach those most in need. Grants and guaranteed payments will encourage traders to bring food into the deficit areas. This food can then be exchanged for vouchers given to vulnerable people in the community. Through this approach supply and demand are better balanced, minimising the risk of inflation and ensuring food availability for all affected communities. Due to ongoing conflict and severe access restrictions, operating conditions in Somalia are likely to remain extremely challenging, placing considerable constraints on the potential scale-up of the response. As humanitarian needs in Somalia continue to grow the level of food distributions within country are at an all time low. However, supplying cash can play an important role in bridging some of the gap, enabling people to purchase grains or to pay off debts with traders, so they are able to purchase food arriving in markets and facilitating movement to areas where food availability may be greater. Somalia: People flee in search of food and safety The situation in Somalia is particularly stark. The latest revision of the UN’s appeal for Somalia almost doubled their estimate of overall funding required to over $1 billion dollars. The UN has already declared 5 areas in the South as suffering from famine, predicting famine conditions across the South within 4-6 weeks, and remaining until the end of the year. Almost 1.46 million men and women have been displaced within Somalia, in search of food, shelter, and security. Many are embarking on the long and dangerous journey towards camps in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya. UNHCR has reported a surge in refugee numbers with an additional 135,000 people leaving Somalia this year, bringing the total number of Somali refugees to 750,000 globally.
Dadaab refugee camp on the Kenya-Somalia border is the largest refugee camp in the world, with more than 390,000 Somalis sheltering in overcrowded conditions. In July, over 40,000 arrived at the camp, the highest monthly arrival rate in the 20 year history, putting further strain on existing resources and limited space and shelter within the camp. With more arriving each day, UNHCR and humanitarian agencies must step up efforts to address unacceptable delays in the registration of arriving refugees, make further progress on plans to expand services to meet the needs of current and future camp populations, and take steps to tackle rising insecurity, particularly on the outskirts of the camp. This will require additional funding from donors and the full co-operation of the Government of Kenya in rapid planning and opening of camp extensions and additional camps extensions where necessary.
In Ethiopia, up to peak of 2,000 Somali refugees per day are also arriving each day, taking the total number in the Dolo Ado camps to over 100,000 already, with this increasing to perhaps as many as 300,000 by the end of the year. In Somalia, continuing insecurity will make it impossible to ensure the safe provision of adequate assistance for extremely vulnerable populations. Saving livelihoods: looking to the longer term The severity of this crisis is exceptional, but in no way is it inevitable. The solutions exist to ensure that crises on this scale are avoided. Governments and the international community urgently need to break the current cycle of emergency response, which leaves donors and affected communities limping from one crisis to the next, by addressing the long-term problems. Decades of marginalisation, neglect, and under-investment in pastoralists and smallholder food producers, many of them women, have contributed to the current crisis. Successful responses to ongoing drought need to combine emergency assistance with livelihood protection measures which address the issues that make people vulnerable in the first place. These should include supporting the mobility of herds, protection of household assets, supply of seeds and tools (to those who engage in agriculture) and supplementary feeding of cattle. Where possible, assistance should be delivered in a way so as to build national capacities and reinforce ongoing resilience programming. It is essential that African women and men farmers and pastoralists have certainty that when they plant they will be able to reap the harvest and that when they invest in improved productivity and the protection of soil and water for future generations they and their children will be among those who benefit. In Somalia renewed efforts are needed to find a political solution to the conflict in the country so that the required investments can be made to increase production and bring food security to all. In stable countries tenure regimes need to be improved to give real rights to women and other small scale food producers. Particular attention must be given to ensuring that aid reaches women in a way that ensrues their sercurity and dignity. Long-term interventions must improve land rights and investment conditions for African women so that they can enjoy their rights, get just reward for their hard work, and contribute to food security for their countries. Without a specific focus on involving women they continue to be missed or marginalised in interventions. Whilst it isn’t possible at this stage to say whether or not the drought can be attributed to man-made climate change, it shows the vulnerability of poor people in the region to climate variability. Communities say seasons are changing and this is a major cause of food insecurity in the region. According to anecdotal evidence from local communities, change is taking place.
Africa needs to give now
The vision of the Constitutive Act of the African Union commits Members States to collectively create a “strong and united Africa, capable of meeting global challenges and shouldering its responsibility to harness the human and natural resources of the continent in order to improve the living conditions of its peoples”
Among the key objectives is realising “greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the peoples of Africa” This vision and objectives have been translated into several declarations, standards and instruments such as the NEPAD Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Plan (CAADP) (2003), the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture (2003) and the AU Policy Framework for Pastoralism in Africa (2010). The Pastoralism Framework states Member States commitments to guarantee security, services, infrastructure and economic opportunities in pastoral areas. The text in these important documents falls far short of the current reality and context for millions on our continent.
African Governments must decisively and meaningfully respond to make a contribution towards the US$1.3 billion still required for the UN appeals. It would be consistent with the political principle of “African solutions for African problems”. It would demonstrate the value of “non-indifference” and solidarity with the peoples and Governments of Africa currently facing ruin and death. Such African commitment to action and demonstration of political will would also trigger further generous commitments from the rest of the international community – for the immediate response and for backing investment in longer term national and regional plans to prevent such unnecessary disasters from occurring again.
There is a precedence. Following the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 many African Governments and citizens including those of South Africa, Senegal and Sierra Leone joined the international community to donate money and support during the crisis that saw the death of several hundred thousand Haitians. More than thirty African countries gave money this year to aid the people of Japan following the earthquake and tsunami disasters that caused the death of several hundreds of thousands. In these moments, Africa lived up to its international responsibility.
Africa has yet to act decisively on the Horn of Africa crisis. The AU Committee of Permanent Representatives and the African Union Commission have opened the door for realistic pledges of support by contributing US$500,000, announcing a day of Pan African solidarity and an International Pledging Conference on August 15th and August 25th respectively. As of August 9th, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Kenya and Sudan have made contributions. Namibia has pledged US$500,000 The South African Government has just increased its earlier contribution of US$150,000 upwards to US$1 million. VODACOM’s appeal to the South African public on August 1 is likely to dwarf this within weeks. In Kenya, a multi-agency Kenyans for Kenyans appeal to the public and the private sector has generated US$2.8 million in a matter of days.
These efforts need to be scaled up dramatically by African Governments over the next few weeks. Given the overall figure required and the potential capacity of Africa to give generously to fellow Africans in need, it would not be unreasonable to expect African Governments to contribute upwards of US$50 million in the lead up to the August 25th conference. We call on African States to lead the international community in responding to the ongoing efforts in the Horn of Africa. There are a number of valuable opportunities that African Governments and Regional Economic Communities can harness over the next few months namely; • SADC Heads of States Summit, Luanda, August 15-17 • ECOWAS Special Summit on Cote D’Ivoire, Abuja, August (TBC) • AU Pan Africa Day of Solidarity with the People of the Horn, August 15 • Arab League Conference, August 18 • AU International Pledging Conference, Addis or Nairobi, August 25 • East Africa Legislative Assembly Session of Parliament, September 4-15
The UN Consolidated Appeal Process framework provides a legitimate and effective mechanism of channelling funds and support. It is critical that Africa and indeed the rest of the international community not create parallel funding streams that could dissipate efforts. It is also important that the food and other relief services be distributed by all existing civil state and non-state mechanisms. Priority must to be given to African humanitarian organisations and community based organisations that have the capacity to deliver the relief accountably, efficiently and effectively.
Africa needs to plan against disasters better
As drought and vulnerability to food insecurity is a recurrent feature of Eastern Africa, it is critical that the African Union, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and governments across Africa seek to avoid dependency on humanitarian aid by making a long term commitment to support them to recover from this drought and build more resilient livelihoods. This requires greater investment in development (including in pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihood), particularly in arid and semi-arid areas. The AU can also work with the RECs to further reinforce Disaster Response capacity within the continent. For the Horn in particular, IGAD has the potential to expand its role in disaster response in the region, building upon lessons learned from other Regional Economic Communities’ experience, in particular ECOWAS and its response to the West Africa Drought last year.
The month of August will be decisive for millions of lives and livelihoods in the Horn. Delayed action will cost lives and betray the vision, spirit and agreement reached under the auspices of the African Union. Every time an African citizen dies in the Horn of Africa, the African Union and the international community dies a little. Every life that is saved extends the value of pan African solidarity and the principle of “non-indifference”. The difference between these two situations` lies in the actions that the African Union, Regional Economic Communities, African governments and citizens must now take.
Actions Required by the African Union • The African Union Commission should encourage all African Governments to publicly announce their financial contributions and moral support for the people of the Horn of Africa and efforts being taken to save lives, livelihoods and ensure that never again African men, women and children die from famine. • The African Union Commission should reach out to all international partners, including Organisational of Islamic Conference, the Arab League and Intergovernmental Authority on Drought, to support the August 25th International Pledging Conference that is able to generate the collective will to respond to this humanitarian disaster of political proportions. • The AU Commission should place an item on the 2012 January Summit to review progress of fundraising, success of the humanitarian effort and a proposal to ensure that this is the last avoidable disaster of this kind. • The AU Commission and African Governments should consider the creation of a standing fund for humanitarian response, with predictable and adequate sources of financing in the upcoming Conference on Alternative Financing for the African Union convened under the auspices of H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo on August 15th • The African Union should reach out to African civil society for their support in raising public awareness of the conditions in the Horn of Africa across Africa and call on all AU Member States to provide generous contributions – financial or other – to uphold the African solidarity. • The Peace and Security Council must maintain strong oversight over AMISOM response in Somalia to ensure that military actors are indeed the last resort and that their involvement does not jeopardise the humanitarian effort and access to people in need.
Actions Required by the Regional Economic Communities • SADC, ECOWAS, CENSAD, EAC and other Regional Economic Communities must make financial contributions at their upcoming meetings and encourage national Governments to significantly contribute. • In these upcoming Summits, RECs must agree to prioritise the acceleration of disaster risk reduction and disaster response mechanisms, contingency plans and country agricultural investment plans, with the financial and technical backing of the international community. Actions Required by the African National Governments • All African Governments must commit funding and appeal to their citizens and the private sector to contribute generously to the AU Humanitarian Fund on August 25th • All Governments must make long-term investment in agriculture and natural resource management to support small scale food producers (farmers and pastoralists) to boost food production, rebuild depleted resource bases and ensure food availability to those who need it. An accelerated plan for food security is critical.
Actions Required by African citizens and Civil Society Organisations • African citizens and Civil Society organisations must challenge their Governments and the Private Sector to give generously and use the AU Fund or the UN Consolidated Appeal Process framework to avoid parallel funding streams • African citizens and all CSOs across Africa must use the AU August 15th Day of Pan African solidarity with the people of the Horn to raise public awareness, mobilise funding for the relief efforts and engage their Governments on their responsibility to act (see appendix 3 for suggestions of actions to take)
Primary responsibility for responding to the drought and delivering services and assistance to vulnerable communities lies with national Governments. Yet given the scale of the crisis, with 12 million already affected, it will also require the engagement of the international community, a large injection of emergency relief, and a deep commitment to tackling the root causes.
The humanitarian response is essential so that lives are saved now. However, African Governments and the international community urgently need to break the chronic cycle of food insecurity, which leaves donors and affected communities limping from one crisis to the next, by addressing the long-term problems that make people vulnerable in the first place.
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Appendix 1: A formula for how Africa could contribute to the Horn of Africa crisis
Member States (in alphabetical order) Agreed Schedule of Contributions to AU Percentage Contribution Amount 1. Algeria 13.27 13.27% 6,635,000 2. Angola 3.82 3.82% 1,910,000 3. Bénin 0.40 0.40% 200,000 4. Botswana 1.01 1.01% 505,000 5. Burkina Faso 0.48 0.48% 240,000 6. Burundi 0.06 0.06% 30,000 7. Cameroun 1.86 1.86% 930,000 8. Cape Verde 0.11 0.11% 55,000 9. Central African Republic 0.11 0.11% 55,000 10. Chad 0.28 0.28% 140,000 11. Comores 0.03 0.03% 15,000 12. Congo 0.57 0.57% 285,000 13. Democratic Republic of Congo 0.56 0.56% 280,000 14. Côte d’Ivoire 1.71 1.71% 855,000 15. Djibouti 0.07 0.07% 35,000 16. Egypt 13.27 13.27% 6,635,000 17. Equatorial Guinea 1.01 1.01% 505,000 18. Eritrea 0.11 0.11% 55,000 19. Ethiopia 1.14 1.14% 570,000 20. Gabon 0.81 0.81% 405,000 21. Gambia 0.03 0.03% 15,000 22. Ghana 1.05 1.05% 525,000 23. Guinea Conakry 0.20 0.20% 100,000 24. Guinéa Bissau 0.01 0.01% 5,000 25. Kenya 1.99 1.99% 995,000 26. Lesotho 0.17 0.17% 85,000 27. Liberia 0.03 0.03% 15,000 28. Libya 13.27 13.27% 6,635,000 29. Madagascar 0.45 0.45% 225,000 30. Malawi 0.16 0.16% 80,000 31. Mali 0.51 0.51% 255,000 32. Mauritania 0.22 0.22% 110,000 33. Mauritius 0.68 0.68% 340,000 34. Morocco (not a AU member) 0.00 0.00% 0 35. Mozambique 0.50 0.50% 250,000 36. Namibia 0.71 0.71% 355,000 37. Niger 0.28 0.28% 140,000 38. Nigeria 13.27 13.27% 6,635,000 39. Rwanda 0.22 0.22% 110,000 40. Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic 0.01 0.01% 5,000 41. Sao Tome and Principe 0.01 0.01% 5,000 42. Sénégal 0.85 0.85% 425,000 43. Seychelles 0.06 0.06% 30,000 44. Sierra Leone 0.12 0.12% 60,000 45. Somalia 0.20 0.20% 100,000 46. South Africa 13.27 13.27% 6,635,000 47. Sudan 4.52 4.52% 2,260,000 48. Swaziland 0.29 0.29% 145,000 49. Tanzania 1.04 1.04% 520,000 50. Togo 0.30 0.30% 150,000 51. Tunisia 3.00 3.00% 1,500,000 52. Uganda 0.80 0.80% 400,000 53. Zambia 0.80 0.80% 400,000 54. Zimbabwe 0.30 0.30% 150,000 Total 100.00 100.00% 50,000,00 Appendix 2: Pledges and Contributions to date (August 9th 2011)
Donor top org. Name USD committed/contributed USD pledged Total: 1,891,759,244.00 243,028,388.00 United States of America 545,400,351.00 28,532,556.00 Carry-over (donors not specified) 183,386,892.00 0.00 European Commission 175,688,559.00 0.00 United Kingdom 137,284,475.00 66,461,992.00 Central Emergency Response Fund 107,104,887.00 11,000,000.00 Japan 95,786,480.00 0.00 Australia 84,938,079.00 0.00 Private (individuals & organisations) 60,024,827.00 0.00 Allocation of unearmarked funds by WFP 56,722,232.00 0.00 Common Humanitarian Fund 56,328,034.00 0.00 Saudi Arabia (Kingdom of) 50,744,137.00 10,000,000.00 Germany 44,115,187.00 0.00 Sweden 42,556,017.00 20,516,350.00 France 40,215,897.00 3,928,384.00 Denmark 31,467,017.00 0.00 Canada 29,582,344.00 52,712,642.00 Brazil 27,477,513.00 0.00 Spain 22,827,839.00 2,422,641.00 Norway 22,136,803.00 6,051,715.00 Netherlands 20,028,076.00 0.00 Various Donors (details not yet provided) 17,607,956.00 0.00 Finland 14,843,986.00 0.00 Switzerland 12,061,679.00 5,402,161.00 Kuwait 11,440,000.00 500,000.00 Belgium 7,278,016.00 0.00 Allocation of unearmarked funds by UNICEF 6,149,938.00 0.00 Ireland 5,563,656.00 0.00 UNICEF National Committee/Germany 3,576,550.00 0.00 Italy 3,312,853.00 1,430,615.00 USA Fund for UNICEF 3,295,666.00 0.00 Sudan 2,500,000.00 0.00 UNICEF National Committee/Japan 2,490,202.00 0.00 Luxembourg 2,203,831.00 0.00 UNICEF National Committee/United Kingdom 2,174,116.00 0.00 UNICEF National Committee/Netherlands 2,142,873.00 0.00 United Arab Emirates 2,141,079.00 0.00 Emergency Response Fund (OCHA) 1,767,135.00 0.00 Korea, Republic of 1,700,000.00 5,200,000.00 UN Peacebuilding Fund 1,555,900.00 0.00 UNICEF National Committee/France 1,430,620.00 0.00 Austria 1,143,879.00 786,123.00 Islamic Development Bank 1,000,000.00 0.00 Russian Federation 1,000,000.00 0.00 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 800,000.00 0.00 New Zealand 762,777.00 1,609,010.00 Qatar 619,200.00 0.00 UNICEF National Committee/Switzerland 600,240.00 0.00 UNICEF National Committee/Italy 569,800.00 0.00 African Development Bank 507,898.00 0.00
Donor top org. Name USD committed/contributed USD pledged Czech Republic 406,533.00 0.00 Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund 350,000.00 0.00 Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies 322,000.00 0.00 Allocation of unearmarked funds by UNAIDS 214,605.00 0.00 UNICEF National Committee/Denmark 191,830.00 0.00 UNICEF National Committee/Spain 185,981.00 0.00 Peace Building Fund 169,908.00 0.00 Estonia 156,703.00 0.00 Liechtenstein 124,688.00 0.00 Trust Fund for Human Security 92,084.00 0.00 Slovenia 71,530.00 0.00 Red Cross of Monaco 42,000.00 0.00 Andorra 28,612.00 0.00 African Union 0.00 300,000.00 China 0.00 14,000,000.00 Iran 0.00 0.00 Monaco 0.00 28,000.00 South Africa 0.00 146,199.00 World Bank 0.00 12,000,000.00
Appendix 3: Actions you can take between August 15 and August 25
1. Record and upload on utube a short video 12 seconds for 12 million Africans (not more than 12 seconds). Send the link to africansact4africa@gmail.com. We will edit it and upload it on our AfricansAct4Africa YouTube page. Suggested short video messaging: a. Nobody should die from hunger – not now, not in the 21st century. Stand up. Act for Africa. b. I am … (your name)…and I call on Africans to Act for Africa. c. Our leaders need to come on board and offer African solutions to African problems. I am an African Acting for Africa. d. I call on my government to reach out and take care of my brothers and sisters. I call on my government to Act for Africa. e. Join the campaign. Sign onto the Africans Act 4 Africa facebook page and follow us on twitter at @africansact.
f. Launch a Twitter campaign addressed to prominent political and business leaders linking Africans Act 4 Africa facebook page. The twitter campaign can be aimed at urging your Government to make significant contributions to the relief effort.
2. Call on African leaders and governments to make sure this never happens again by ensuring the right environment for Africans is provided to increase their food production, storage and transport – so we all have the food we all need not.
3. Challenge the private sector in your country to donate particularly multinationals with Pan African operations e.g.: tele-communication companies, petroleum companies, media, retail outlets etc.
4. Visit the African Union page and learn more about the conference that will be held on 25 August http://au.int/pages/savinglives
Activities from August 15 onwards – The Day of Pan African Solidarity with the People of the Horn
5. Africa Stops in Solidarity! Ask everyone to in your office, place of learning, worship and community to stop what they are doing and observe a moment of silence for 1 minute 2 sec at 12noon. 6. 12 hours of giving for 12 million people – push for action to have people send money to existing funding channels, from 7am – 7pm. 7. Tell all your colleagues and friends about the Pan African Day in Solidarity with the People of the Horn of Africa, and tell them to Act for Africa.
You can contact us at africansact4africa@gmail.com for more details on this campaign to have Africa Act 4 Africa