School Kits Distributed to 4,128 Students to Support Continued Learning in Kabul Province

Hamida*, 29, is a mother of five children ranging from four months to seven years old. She is grateful to Allah that her entire family survived the relentless dry season in Ethiopia’s Somali region. However, they face a desperate struggle to survive after losing most of their livestock—their only source of income.With no options left, Hamida and her family fled their small village in the Somali region about six years ago escaping a drought that killed most of their livestock. After walking for more than five hours, they arrived at a makeshift camp for temporary settlers on the outskirts of a nearby rural town, far from their original home. They have lived there ever since.Following the failed rainy season known as Dayr, in October to December, most areas in the Somali region experienced severe drought, causing an acute shortage of water and pasture. This led to significant food insecurity among communities, forcing many families to leave their homes and travel to nearby small towns in hopes of receiving support from the government and humanitarian agencies.As part of its emergency humanitarian assistance through the internal Humanitarian Fund (HF), Save the Children is on the ground providing lifesaving assistance to families most impacted by the dry season through the distribution of food and non-food items. To date, the organization has reached over 1,200 households, approximately more than 7,200 individuals.

Rukia* is a mother of seven, lives in a remote village in the Somali region where she raises livestock. Her family’s livelihood depends entirely on the livestock for both income and sustenance. However during long dry periods, her livestock was not producing enough milk to feed her children and be a useful source of income for Rukia*.In 2022, Rukia and her family had to leave their home village, which is located far from where they currently settled. They were escaping severe dry weather conditions caused by consecutive failed rains, which led to a critical shortage of water and pasture for their livestock and themselves. The prolonged dry spell resulted in the loss of most of their livestock, but the family relocated with support from the local administration and humanitarian organizations.

Rahwa, 42, is a mother of six children, four boys and two girls, and lives in a remote rural village in Ethiopia's Somali region. Her family of eight relies on small-scale agriculture, including crop production and livestock raising, for their livelihood. For their family, however, livestock comes first in terms of income and sustenance.In recent times, recurrent failed rains, combined with high food prices in the local market have been a challenge. Save the Children, through its anticipatory action initiatives funded by Save the Children Korea (SCK) and in partnership with the local government, has been helping families in this area by providing improved crops and fodder seeds. This support has enabled families like Rahwa's to feed their livestock. Rahwa produces fodder and crops, the latter which are used for family consumption and selling of the surplus.