USAID and Ad Council Announce FWD Day for the Horn of Africa

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ad Council are announcing today as FWD Day for the Horn of Africa. The goal of the day is simple: 13.3 million FWDs (tweets, posts, shares, etc.) for the 13.3 million people affected by the crisis.

The Horn of Africa is currently experiencing the worst drought in 60 years, the worst famine in 20, and non-stop violence. The total number of people impacted, 13.3 million, is greater than the populations of New York City and Los Angeles combined.

In a recent survey conducted, 52% of Americans said they did not know about or were unaware of the crisis. In response, USAID, in partnership with Ad Council, launched its first-ever public awareness campaign, FWD (Famine. War. Drought.), to galvanize a nationwide effort to get more people involved in providing relief to those affected.

Today, Americans can make a big difference by taking part in FWD Day by spreading awareness and ensuring that the crisis no longer goes overlooked. People can participate in FWD Day by:

1. Tweeting with the #FWD hash-tag, sharing updates from the USAID Facebook page and telling people about transition.usaid.gov/FWD.
2. Texting "GIVE" to 777444 to donate $10 to a consortium of 8 NGOs working in the Horn of Africa.
3. Visiting USAID's YouTube channel and upload your own FWD call to action.

For more information about USAID and the FWD Campaign visit transition.usaid.gov/FWD.