. >> starr: somaliland, somalia. area. and that should be everything. that should be business, government, law, health care-- and we have students studying everything. so ultimately, it should work that way. >> cooper: there was no guarantee it would work that way when abaarso began accepting students in 2009, but jonathan starr was determined. he'd moved to somaliland and has spent more than half a million dollars of his own money building the school, recruiting the students, and hiring the teachers, nearly all of whom he found online. how much money were you offering to pay the teachers? >> starr: $250 a month. >> cooper: $250 a month, to come to somaliland. >> starr: we cook for them; we have food for them. and if they don't leave campus, they'll never have an expense whatsoever. >> cooper: but there's not a lot to do here. >> starr: no, there's not a lot to do here. >> okay, good mog,gentman. >> cooper: they came anyway. >> you will get five minutes. >> cooper: mostly from america. many had never taught anywhere

a more than eight-hour trek across the unforgiving desert of somaliland.er the searing sun we are told there are urgent crisis now unfolding. a crisis unnoticed by most of the world. and we're about to see it. families and children at risk of starvation. in the first village the line morning, as far as the eye can see. they know the trucks are coming. how many hours away? >> that would be like two hours. close to two hours, yes. >> to get from the nearest water site? >> yes. >> reporter: here it's not just food they need but water. save the children is trucking it in. you haven't had a drenching rain here for years? >> yeah, has not rained in close to three years now. >> three years? >> that's why it is so dry, yes. close to three years. >> reporter: felina, mother of five, stands in line. we asked the last time there was any rain. she remembers the day. it happened once last year. on the hill sit two trucks to deliver water for hundreds of families. if you look over my shoulder you'll actually see that this is what it's like as these families come here ev

a more than eight-hour trek across the desert on somaliland, where we were told there was an urgent crisisctors and nurses in a race against time. at our first hospital, we see the children fighting to survive. this child, 2 years old, weighing just 11 pounds. the nurse told us, they feared she would die just minutes after arriving. she's still holding on. the doctor, trying to keep the children alive. >> they are dying. due to severe dehydration. >> more than 100 miles away, another hospital. we won't forget the doctor and what he told us. >> these are the lucky ones that reach the hospital. but so many do not. >> four countries on the brink of famine. 20 million at risk. you believe you're on the verge of famine? >> that's what i believe. >> you're seeing it? >> we're seeing it. it's here. i don't need a witness. >> this boy, so weak, he lost the strength to talk. his tiny hand in mine. he can't talk? he hasn't been talking? so many of you at home, seeing the faces and taking action. tonight, save the children telling us $1.8 million has been raised from our viewers, more than 16,000 don

our journey began at first light, in somaliland. doctors and nurses in a race against time.hospital, we see the children fighting to survive. 2 years pounds. the nurse told us, they feared she would guy just minutes after arriving. she's still holding on. the doctor, trying to keep the children alive. >> they are dying. due to severe dehydration. >> more than 100 miles away, another hospital. we won't forget the doctor and what he told us. >> these are the lucky ones that reach the hospital. but so many do not. >> four countries on the brink of famine. 20 million at risk. you believe you're on the verge of famine? >> we're seeing it. it's here. i don't need a witness. >> this boy, so weak, he lost the strength to talk. his tiny hand in mine. he can't talk? so many of you at home, see save the children telling us $1.8 million has been raised from our viewers, more than 16,000 donors. >> you can actually bring a child back to life if you get to that child. >> the children, being helped by you. >> and so we choose the doctors and nurses fighting to save those children. and of c

. >> reporter: we set out to reach some of the most remote villages in somaliland. there is an urgent crisis unfolding largely unnoticed by the rest of the world, families and children at risk of starvation. in the first village, harashef, the line begins early in the morning. they know the trucks are coming. >> so how many hours away? >> that would be two hours to get here today. >> reporter: here it's not just the food they need, but water. save the children is trucking it in. it has not rained here in three years, in some places in four years. >> reporter: halima, a mother of five, stands in line. all of her livestock is gone. they have no food. we ask the last time, there was any rain? she remembers the day. it happened once, last year. on the hill, sit two trucks to deliver water for hundreds of families. if you look over my shoulder, here, you'll actually see that this is what it's like as these families come here every single day to get water. we witness a rush of families, trying to get to the hoses that will give them enough water to last just a couple of d

we witnessed the race to save the children during our journey through somaliland. doctors told us it's only worsening. in fact, aide workers say this could be one of the worst humanitarian crises since world war ii. the children you see right here are the lucky ones because they've now made it to the hospitals. so many others in isolated villages where there's an urgent effort to get them food and water. many of you gave what you could. save the children told us, in the first 24 hours since our report they have now received $800,000 from you at home. carolyn miles said, the head of save the children, said we are enormously grateful to you and the general abc viewers. following your broadcast last night, save the children received nearly $800,000 from more than 6500 people. the need is huge. but tens of thousands of children will be helped thanks to your goodness. many of you still tweeting me today on how to help, we put all the information on "world news tonight" facebook page. >>> in the meantime, there's still much more ahead on "world news tonight" this wednesd

>> inside remote villages in somaliland rack the with hunger and rescue workers bringing food and water