H&M Conscious Foundation supports emergency relief efforts in Ethiopia

According to the Save the Children, the drought in Ethiopia is now forecast to be the strongest in 30 years. The main reason is El Nino-induced weather patterns manifested as drought in the northern highlands of Addis Ababa and flooding in the south.

− The emerging disaster in Ethiopia will have devastating implications for the food security of millions of people. It is the youngest who suffer most in disasters due to food shortages and malnutrition. Therefore an early response is needed as a preventive measure, says Diana Amini, Global Manager at the H&M Conscious Foundation.

Currently, as many as 8.2 million people are in need of emergency food assistance, 5 million children are at risk of hunger, more than 300,000 children are at risk of severe malnutrition and 210,600 people are expected to be affected by flooding. Save the Children calls for action in order to avoid a full scale humanitarian crisis.

− This is no ordinary year in Ethiopia, and Save the Children is already on the ground saving lives. In all affected areas where we work, we’re rapidly providing food, water, medicine and crucial support to families who have lost their incomes. The global response is at this stage still low, and we welcome the donation from H&M Conscious Foundation, says Secretary General Elisabeth Dahlin, Save the Children Sweden.

The donation from H&M Conscious Foundation will contribute to:

·         Treat and prevent acute malnutrition among children under five years of age, and other vulnerable groups. Food assistance, seed distribution, livestock feed and animal health services.

·         Provide water, sanitation and hygiene related services.

·         Basic education to children in affected areas as well as providing schooling for internally displaced children.

·         Child protection through the use of child friendly spaces and other specialized interventions for displaced children to keep them safe from physical and psychological harm.

The H&M Conscious Foundation can make donations if a disaster occurs in a country where H&M operates, and Ethiopia is an H&M production country.

The H&M Conscious Foundation is an independent non-profit global foundation, initiated by H&M. The mission of the Foundation is to create long lasting positive change and improve living conditions by investing in communities, people and innovative ideas. Through partnerships with prominent organizations around the globe, the Foundation drives change within three focus areas, as chosen by H&M employees and customers: Education, Clean Water and Strengthening Women. To further improve living conditions the Foundation supports innovative ideas that contribute to safeguarding the earth’s natural resources, for example through its initiative Global Change Award. The Foundation can also provide emergency relief in countries where H&M operates. Today, the Foundation is funded by the Stefan Persson family, founders and the main owners of H&M.

For further information, visit hm.com/consciousfoundation