A combination of drought and conflict brews a dangerous recipe for a hunger crisis that leaves more than 25 million people in east Africa – South Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia – in a fragile balance between life and death.

Severe and persistent drought has caused widespread deficits in water and pasture, contributing to declining livestock conditions, increased rate of disease outbreaks, rising mortalities and crop production losses.

As a professional Christian humanitarian organisation, we take our commitment to truth and transparency very seriously. For more than 65 years, we have stayed true to our mission to work with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice around the world.

Due to El Nino, China has been plagued by prolonged rains and storms, resulting in severe floods since May 2016. Torrential rain across many parts of the mainland has further escalated the situation in the first week of July. Water levels in around 200 rivers have exceeded warning levels, hitting historical highs. A tornado has also hit Jiangsu province, which continued to suffer from rainstorms after.

On June 15th, 2016, Mohammad El Halabi, the manager of operations for World Vision in Gaza, was arrested on his way home from routine meetings. On August 4th 2016, after 50 days in Israeli state detention, Mohammad was charged with providing support to Hamas. World Vision was shocked to learn of these charges against Mohammad. World Vision is taking the grave charges brought against our Gaza staff member very seriously.

As of 3 March 2016, there are more than 4.8 million registered Syrian refugees (UNHCR, 2016). It is estimated that half of the refugees are children. In 2011, World Vision began providing assistance to internally displaced children and families in and around Syria. It has now expanded to include 5 countries: Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey.

Voices cut through the bird chirping and the whoosh of the wind as members of the Men Care Group gather under a Neem tree near the north-central city of Agra, India, expressing dismay.

“Another case,” says one member, rubbing his forehead. The others exchange worried glances.

A bomb blast Feb. 15 outside a World Vision-supported hospital in A’zaz, northern Syria left a crater of rubble, shattered windows and slightly damaged the building. No patients were injured, but as many as 14 people were killed in the attack.

Typhoon Koppu made landfall in the province of Aurora early Sunday. It is expected to remain over mainland Luzon for up to three days and exit Philippine area of responsibility by Saturday, October 24.

World Vision communicator Joy Maluyo in Isabela shares, “I saw large tracks of rice fields inundated by floods. If rains continue for days the crops will rot and farmers will bear big losses if they fail to salvage their harvest.”

Over nearly 5 years fighting in Syria has reportedly killed 220,000 – 76,000 last year alone. More than 4 million people have fled the country and 7.6 million are displaced in Syria. More than half are children.