One of the worst humanitarian crises in more than six decades has struck more than 13.3 million people in the Horn of Africa. Some experts estimate that over 30,000 kids have died in the past four months alone. In fact, by the time you finish reading this post, another child will be dead.  

Lack of rainfall, soaring food prices and a violent extremist movement in Somalia have combined forces to put more than 13.3 million people across the region at risk of displacement, starvation and death. That's more than the population of New York City and Los Angeles combined.

Almost as tragic as the crisis itself is the lack of public awareness about it. Here at USAID (the United States Agency for International Development) our research suggests that more than 54% of Americans haven’t even heard about the crisis. Compare that with the recent Haiti earthquake that almost every American had ingrained on their mind. 

To address this knowledge gap, USAID launched a campaign called FWD, which stands for "Famine, War and Drought," highlighting the three issues at the center of the crisis. The goal of the FWD campaign is to get people to engage, donate and forward the facts to others.

Today is a major milestone in the FWD campaign. It is a day we are calling FWD>Day. In one single day, our goal is to get 13.3 million people, the same number of people impacted by the crisis, to forward the facts and raise awareness about the crisis. So today I’m asking you to post a message on your Facebook wall, tweet a fact about the crisis, or donate $10 by texting “Give” to 777444.

I’m convinced that people of faith across America should be leading this movement. Why? Because people of faith are often at the vanguard of responding to major humanitarian crises. As a follower  of Jesus, I believe that every single human being is created in the image of God, and therefore has immeasurable and equal worth in the eyes of our Creator—whether they're born in Minneapolis or Mogadishu.

I know our actions can save lives; they already have.  Health interventions, clean water, and nutritious meals for kids, have reached 4.6 million people in the Horn. In fact, the U.S. government response, which happens in partnership with faith-based organizations like World Vision and Catholic Relief Services, represents 50% of the total international effort.

The present crisis underscores the need to invest in the long-term food security of the region through efforts like President Obama's Feed the Future initiative. Through this effort, the United States has invested in early warning systems that were in place to help people and governments prepare for this crisis in advance. Even though the drought is severe across the entire region, the famine is localized to places like Somalia where extremist groups prevent life-saving organizations from getting food to people who are starving.
 
Through Feed the Future, America is empowering Africans to help Africans. For example, USAID is partnering with PEPSICO and the World Food Program to invest in 30,000 female farmers in Ethiopia who are growing chickpeas that are packaged as a nutritious product, fortified, and distributed to children—think of it as supermarket hummus in superhero form. Today, that product is saving lives in the same country where it was developed.

Protecting the vulnerable and promoting the common good are not only basic American values; they are at the heart of what it means to follow Jesus in a broken and hurting world. And yet, America spends less than 1% of its annual budget on foreign assistance. This is money well invested, not only for expanding opportunity and advancing national security, but in demonstrating the true character of the American people to the rest of the world.

As Christians, we need to amplify our voices to make sure the crisis in the Horn remains front-and-center in the hearts and minds of the American people in the critical months ahead. For concrete ideas and tools for taking action—getting up-to-date information, sending financial support and forwarding the facts—please visit the FWD website at www.usaid.gov/fwd.

1. Can you help spread the word about this disaster?
2. Why do you think this crisis hasn't received as much attention in the media as other international disasters?
   

Editor's Note: This image was taken in by Siasat.

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