Red Cross Red Crescent assistance helps to stabilize the situation in the south of the country.
Zinash Goya is three years old but you would never be able to tell by looking at her. Her weak, emaciated body looks like it belongs to a newborn baby instead of a child who should be running around and playing.
Zinash arrived at a stabilizing centre for severely malnourished children in Damot Pulasa, southern Ethiopia, a week ago. Nurse Tarekegn, who takes care of the children at the centre, says: “When Zinash arrived she was hardly alive. Now we see improvement, though it will take her a few weeks to gain strength.”
In August the health clinic and feeding centre in Damot Pulasa admitted an average of 11 children a week. Eight of them were so weak that they had to be taken to the neighbouring stabilizing centre. Between April and August nearly 300 children had to be treated at the clinic.
Severe drought instead of surplus crops
Damot Pulasa and its neighbouring districts have been severely affected by unusual weather patterns. In 2007 heavy rainfall destroyed crops. This year a drought has left people with empty bellies again. As a result they were so hungry that they had to eat the seeds they normally would have planted, leaving no hope for a future harvest.
Ato Mengistu Godana, vice-administrator of Damot Pulasa, says: “This district is usually known for producing surplus crops but this year we are facing an unprecedented drought. All 23 villages in the district are affected. Mothers and children suffer the most. Since April, 11 children are reported to have died from hunger and more than 2,220 students have dropped out of school due to lack of food.”
Red Cross Red Crescent support
In order to break this vicious circle, the Red Cross Red Crescent is treating families of malnourished children as a priority and provides food relief to 40,000 people in Damot Pulasa. This approach is showing results. The latest World Food Programme report for Ethiopia shows that malnutrition rates in the region have been brought to a stable level.
Breaking the vicious cycle of malnutrition
Andrei Engstrand-Neacsu, communications manager for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in East Africa, explains: “When children are healthier, they are normally sent home from the feeding centres with special food supplements meant to further improve their condition. However, once home, hungry families used to share the food supplement – meant for one child – between all family members. The result was that most children ended up needing intensive feeding again. Exposed to repeated severe malnutrition, many could not survive. This is why we assist all family members of severely malnourished children.”
Ato Mengistu, who is also a member of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, adds: “The Red Cross’ contribution is paramount because it is not just providing immediate relief but long-term support as well. The Red Cross has given people seeds, including 500 quintals of maize and nine million sweet potato cuttings, that have now been planted."
Zinash’s thankful mother
It’s the kind of support that Zinash’s mother Tewabech is thankful for. Not only is her daughter being cared for in the stabilizing centre, but the family has also received food relief which will continue until November when the seeds the Red Cross gave them will be ready to harvest.
She explains: “Before the drought, we had enough food from our farms. But since April this year we have consumed what we had in reserve and even lost two cows because of the drought. “We had a serious problem until we got food rations from the Red Cross. They also gave us seeds to plant. We thank the Red Cross for saving our lives.”
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Feeding Centre in Boditi village in Wolayita Region, Ethiopia. In August the health clinic and feeding centre in Damot Pulasa admitted an average of 11 children a week. (Jose Cendon/International Federation) (p18269)
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A malnourished boy holds the hand of his mother. (Jose Cendon/International Federation) (p18261)
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In order to break this vicious circle, the Red Cross Red Crescent is treating families of malnourished children as a priority and provides food relief to 40,000 people in Damot Pulasa. (Jose Cendon/International Federation) (p18268)
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