Staying Informed about the Unpleasant

Medical Teams Northwest describes East Africa as having "the worst drought in 60 years." Now that's saying something. CARE describes it as a "food and refugee crisis."

Right now more than 10 million people are suffering from terrible food shortages. That number is so high it numbs us. Let's take it down to one: One father walked with his son for eight days, during which time the son died of starvation. The dad buried his child in a shallow grave and walked on.

Hunger drives more than 1,000 people per day to flood into already-overcrowded refugee camps. Those who can find food are usually severely malnourished. The cause of it all: Drought combined with ongoing conflict in South Somalia and Eastern Ethiopia.

You can read more and donate to Medical Teams NW here.

You can donate to CARE here.

Update 7/20: The UN has officially declared the situation in Somalia as "famine." Medical Teams NW has their first famine-relief team scheduled to depart this Saturday.