The collection drive of Giro 555 against hunger in Africa has raised more than10 million euros since 6 March. And there is more good news for the collaborating aid agencies: on 29 March there will be a national action held and broadcast on radio and television.
The first preparations for the actions being taken by schools, clubs, sports unions and citizens have already started.

This is the text that is spoken in this action clip:

There is a disaster happening. Millions of people are on living on the brink of starvation in South Sudan, Northern Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen. Children are dying from malnutrition. Just standing by is not an option. These people need your help now. With emergency aid we can help millions of people to survive. Save lives, give for food. Donate to Giro 555.

Famine

The need in Yemen, Northeastern Nigeria, South Sudan and Somalia is great. 20 million people are balancing on the brink of starvation. All across Europe, national campaigns are being set up to collect funds, according to aid organizations.
Due to the extreme drought, millions of people in the Horn of Africa are facing a famine. The Food and Agricultural organization of the UN (FAO) fears a catastrophy.
In the recently-ended rainy season, from October to November, there was barely a quarter of the normal amount of rainfall in the Horn of Africa, the eastern part of the continent.

Yemen

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The world only has 3 or 4 months to save millions of people in Yemen from death by starvation, the International Committee of the Red Cross annouced this week.
Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Middle East. There are 27 million people living there.
These are the facts and figures from the last Oxfam report about Yemen.

  • Half of the people from Yemen do not have enough to eat. That is 14.4 million people, including 320.000 children who are severely malnourished.
  • No less than 13 million people are in direct need of life-saving humanitarian aid (82% of the population).
  • More than 13 million people need direct life-saving humanitarian aid, due to a lack of medicine and food.
  • More than 19 million people have no access to clean drinking water or a toilet.
  • More than 14 million people have no access to medical care.More than 3 million people have fled from their homes, including 160.000 who have fled the country. 

For food, Yemen is for the most part reliant on imports, but due to the on-going fighting between rebels and the government army it is difficult to reach the country. Due to year-long conflicts the country has largly been destroyed. Since 2015 there has been a civil war raging there. In that year Shiite Houthi rebels drove out the Sunni government troops. Since that time they have had control of large portions of the northern part of Yemen. The government in Yemen receives the support of a coalition under the leadership of neighboring country Saudi-Arabië.

There is much needed in the area: from drinking water to medical care. And because it is now winter there, warm clothing, blankets and heaters are also greatly needed. 

Deadly combination

Oxfam Novib has stated that in the affected countries there is a deadly combination of climate change, drought, poverty and violence. With the funding drive to fight hunger in Africa, many people think back to that one big funding drive in 1985. With the16-hour-long concert Live Aid more than 150 million pounds was raised, much and much more than the approximate 1 million pounds that was expected.