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“Jump at Govt dollar for dollar offer for donations to East Africa”, Australians told

Australians should jump at today’s offer from the Australian government to match their donations dollar for dollar, to aid the Horn of Africa, according to Misha Coleman, a leader in Australia’s overseas aid and development sector.

“If you haven’t already given to help those in East Africa, or if you were thinking you wish you could have given more, now is the time to do it,” said Ms Coleman, CEO of Anglicord – Anglican Overseas Aid.

Her comments follow the announcement today by the Federal Government that The Australian Government's Dollar-for-Dollar initiative will match each dollar donated to appeals run by AusAID-accredited non-government organisations (NGOs) working to alleviate the food crisis in the Horn of Africa from 5 October until 30 November 2011. The money is to be raised for relief and early recovery work, to help communities rebuild where they have been left with no livestock, no water, and no crops.

The need for assistance remains acute. More than 13 million people require urgent humanitarian aid. In Somalia 750,000 people are at risk of starvation and 1.3 million children are acutely malnourished. Unprecedented numbers of people are fleeing their homes for neighbouring countries. The situation is being made worse by life-threatening cholera and measles outbreaks in the region. Australia has already donated $128 million to the crisis but there is still a need for more.

“I suspect many Australians feel unsure that a donation will make any difference in the long term, because it’s been such a long running issue. I hope this will help to reassure them that this is not about band-aid solutions,” said Ms Coleman. “This initiative, focusing on early recovery, is a great challenge to Australians to give - or give again. Their donation will provide not just immediate assistance, but will help these communities avoid this horrific situation again in the future.”

“I congratulate Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd for providing this incentive to the people of Australia to continue to dig deep for Africa,” Ms Coleman said. “It is so important, once the immediate emergency has passed, to make sure that we are right there with our friends in Africa, helping them to rebuild so that when the next natural disaster or global financial downturn comes, they’ll be a in a better position to weather it.”

Anglicord’s relief and recovery work will focus on Ethiopia, where it has a long standing relationship with the Afar community, through Australian midwife Val Browning, who has lived there for many years. Anglicord’s current work with the Afar people involves trucking water to remote communities where remaining supplies are contaminated, and providing medication and food for vulnerable women and children. Future work will focus on restocking livestock so that families can begin earning an income again.

“It takes about ten goats to bring a family up off its knees,” said Ms Browning, who will be visiting Australia in late October.

Donations can be made to Anglicord at www.anglicord.org.au, or by calling 1800 249 880.

/ENDS

Misha Coleman is available for further comment via Jane Still, Communications Manager, 041 862 7043 or 03 9495 6100