(VOA)–A group of celebrities led by Hollywood actor Ben Stiller has joined a social media campaign to send food and water to Somalia through Turkish Airlines.
Last weekend, the group raised more than $1 million online in less than 24 hours. Ben Stiller said in a Twitter message posted Monday that the money has been used to purchase 60 tons of food that the airline will fly to Somalia next week.
Somali diaspora youth groups have been spearheading a similar movement online, following warnings from the U.N. that more than six million Somalis are at risk of severe malnourished and starvation because of drought.
Celebrities got involved at the urging of French Snapchat star Jerome Jarre, who launched a movement called Love Army for Somalia last Wednesday.
After the group began raising donations online, they convinced Turkish Airlines to help deliver one immediate aid shipment to Somalia’s most vulnerable people, prompting the airline to create a Twitter hashtag, #TurkishAirlinesHelpSomalia.
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Celebrities who have made donations include American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick, NBA player Wilson Chandler, YouTube star Casey Niestat and Scottish record producer Calvin Harris.
“And Jerome wants to keep this thing going, because he believes we can raise a lot more money and do a lot more good and really make a dent in what’s going on over there,” Stiller said Monday.
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See also:
- UN: The World Is Facing Largest Crisis since 1945
- Drought Is Pushing Food Prices up Sharply in East Africa: FAO
- VIDEO: UN Seeks $1.9 Million to Address Famine Situation in Drought Affected African Countries
- EU Announces €165m Additional Support for Famine and Drought Affected Countries in Horn of Africa
- FAO Is Committed to Walking alongside with the Communities Affected by the Drought Impacts in Ethiopia