Up to 11 million people are facing starvation in Ethiopia
Saturday, 3 September 2005
Up to 11 million people are facing starvation in Ethiopia
Much of Sub-Saharan Africa is facing an urgent food crisis. Concern has scaled up its efforts in a number of countries, such as Ethiopia, to deal with increasing problems of hunger and malnutrition.
Like many countries in this region of Africa, Ethiopia experiences food shortages at this time of year, but now after three failed harvests and continually poor rains up to 11 million people are at risk of starvation.
Concern conducted nutrition surveys in April and May of this year, in two areas of Wolaita, Southern Ethiopia. These surveys revealed severe malnutrition and as result Concern has begun Community Theraputic Care (CTC) programming in Damot Weyde, Wolaita. The central principle of CTC is to treat malnourished children at home, rather than in faraway feeding centres, using a specially-formulated vitamin-enriched food. This has proved to be a very effective system of treating malnutrition.
Concern is also now running a Supplementary Feeding Programme for UNICEF in Damot Weyde. Another survey is planned after the harvest, in October, to assess nutrition rates.
Concern has moved into the Balle Mountains, after reports of up to 150 people dying from Vitamin C deficiency. A blanket distribution of food is in progress, to all families in the region, with plans for a second one underway.
