Australia commits to famine relief following advocacy by Help Fight Famine Campaign

The federal Government’s recent allocation of $29 million to alleviate the impact of famine and conflict in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East will help save lives and ease the impact of malnutrition.

Thank you for advocating and writing to your MP as part of the Help Fight Famine campaign!

The Help Fight Famine campaign was developed in response to the unprecedented hunger crisis.

The 2022 Global Report on Food Crises reported that 258 million people across 58 countries are now experiencing acute hunger, meaning their life or livelihood is in danger.

The Campaign called on the Australian Government to step up and play our part by committing urgent funding for the worst-affected hunger hotspots, to increase our humanitarian assistance budget and rebuilding aid.

What did the campaign achieve?

• Through a collaborative effort from organisations across the aid and development sector, thousands of Australians joined the call to write to their MP and urge the government to take action. Despite a challenging environment, the collective voice of individuals and organisations resulted in some real wins:
• Most recently (29 May 2023), an allocation of $29 million from the Humanitarian Emergency Fund to partners in the Horn of Africa and Middle East to address the needs of people in drought-affected areas and provide food and nutrition support. This is in addition to the $40 million already allocated to famine relief in the 2022-23 Budget.
• Rev Tim Costello, Executive Director for Micah Australia, said: "...When combined with previous commitments, Australia has now made a decent contribution to the global famine response. Australian efforts will alleviate suffering and prevent deaths."

What's next?

Converging crises – conflict, climate change, COVID-19 – that have driven the hunger crisis are continuing to have a devastating impact on people living in poverty, and Australia has a role to play in investing in a more just and peaceful world.

Tearfund continues to advocate for the rebuilding of our aid budget for Australia’s role in addressing global poverty. Thank you to every supporter who added their voice to the call to Help Fight Famine – you have helped to make a difference for people most impacted by hunger and food insecurity. Please continue to pray with us for an end to this crisis, and for meaningful, generous positions on aid by our government.