The worst drought to hit the Horn of Africa in 40 years is painting a grim scene: Dried up wells, wilted crops and cattle dying by the thousands. In a resource-abundant region that should be boasting with life, this drought — and the hunger crisis it’s created — are plaguing communities. Children, especially girls, are paying the highest price. View photo story

In recent months, the significant rise in food prices has hindered the ability of Syrian refugees living in refugee camps in Jordan to source and obtain affordable food. With many at risk of going hungry, Life for Relief and Development stepped in to distribute food baskets throughout the Zarqa, Hittin, Irbid, and Mafraq refugee camps in Jordan. A total of 773 families received the baskets containing 2 kilos of rice, 10 kilos of sugar, 2 kilos of lentils, 1/2 kilo of tea, and 3 liters of frying oil.

Food insecurity was already on the rise in Guatemala before COVID-19. The pandemic and resulting economic crisis have only exacerbated inequality and poverty. The climate crisis is also taking its toll, with many families losing crops as a result of Hurricanes Eta and Iota in 2020. And the war in the Ukraine is only going to make the situation worse. More information.

Amid one of the greatest humanitarian crises of our time, Lutheran World Relief staff and partners conducted an urgent distribution of cash assistance for internally displaced people (IDP) taking refuge at Al-Khora camp in the Ash-Shamayatayn District of the Taiz Governorate. The besieged capital has faced some of the most intense violence more recently, and blockades have resulted in critical shortages of food, water, cooking gas and medicine. More information.

This is the story of Marina’s leadership, compassion, and innovation. Marina is a 74- year-old farmer in San José de los Molinos, Ica. She began participating in the She Feeds the World Peru program in late 2019 – just a few months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even in the face of economic uncertainty and challenges like isolation, Marina recognized a need in her community and connected with other women farmers in a new virtual way through Facebook by building community, conveying solidarity, and sharing the farming knowledge she learned through She Feeds the World. More information

Isabelle Niyotwagirwa has grown her farm from 2 to 5 acres and up to 10 staff thanks to smart business decisions and support from local savings groups. More information

In Zimbabwe's Harare region, Covid-19's impacts on food security and limited access to healthcare and nutrition education has had devastating consequences for community health, particularly for children. To complement its Emergency Social Cash Transfer program targeting food insecure and vulnerable households, GOAL partnered with UNICEF and Promobile, a private sector partner, to provide downloadable lifesaving nutritional videos, photos and recipes through WIFI-routers mounted on trucks to help ensure that infants and children from six months to two years benefit from a balanced diet. The preloaded information also encourage visits to local health facilities and share tips on food preservation and gardening. This approach was noted by a local nutritionist to be a different and fun way to inform busy parents and spread nutrition and health information more widely. More information.