World Renew, together with trusted partners, is responding to hunger crises in six African countries by meeting urgent food needs while helping families build more secure futures.
The Humanitarian, Early Recovery and Development (HERD) program supports people affected by compounding crises—such as conflict, displacement, extreme weather, and the lasting impacts of the COVID‑19 pandemic—by combining emergency assistance with longer‑term recovery and livelihood support.
Through this integrated approach, the program reaches approximately 89,000 people across Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe. World Renew is directly supporting 5,000 people in Nigeria as part of this initiative, helping households move beyond immediate survival toward sustained food security.
Responding to Hunger Today—While Building for Tomorrow
Many hunger responses focus either on short‑term emergency relief or on long‑term development. The HERD program intentionally brings both together.
Families facing acute food shortages receive immediate assistance—such as food, cash, or market vouchers—so they can meet daily needs with dignity. At the same time, participants gain access to resources and training that help them rebuild livelihoods, strengthen local food systems, and reduce vulnerability to future shocks.
In regions affected by ongoing conflict, forced displacement, and increasingly unpredictable weather, access to enough food is a daily challenge even in stable times. Layered crises have only made this reality more severe.
“The pandemic and restrictions on movement have only amplified the struggle that many families face in getting enough to eat each day,” says Canadian Foodgrains Bank Executive Director Andy Harrington. “This program will help us to achieve the goal of ending hunger in a new and collaborative way. Working together with our members and their local partners, we’ll be able to have an immediate impact in the short term in helping people get by, while also looking at the bigger picture of hunger in the community and supporting long‑term solutions.”
A Holistic Approach to Recovery and Resilience
Beyond emergency support, the HERD program invests in early recovery and development activities that help families regain stability and independence. Depending on local context, this can include:
- Agricultural inputs to restart food production
- Training to improve farming practices and diversify livelihoods
- Support for savings and loan groups
- Paid community work projects, such as soil and water conservation
For World Renew, this approach reflects a deeper shift in how humanitarian organizations walk alongside communities experiencing hunger.
“This program is particularly important because it not only meets the emergency food needs of displaced families, but also creates opportunities to overcome hunger in the long term,” says Jackie Koster, World Renew’s Deputy Director of International Disaster Response. “We are encouraged to see this innovative programming taking shape on the ground, including within our own work in Nigeria.”
Learn more about how World Renew supports communities affected by hunger and crisis—and how long‑term recovery begins with restoring dignity, resilience, and opportunity. Explore our disaster response work today.
