19th February, 2016
Almost a million children in eastern and southern Africa are suffering severe malnutrition as drought has combined with one of the most powerful El Nino events in 50 years to wreak havoc in the region, says UNICEF.
The child-focused UN agency said this week that millions in the region are at risk of hunger, water shortages and disease with the situation aggravated by rising food prices which is forcing families to skip meals and sell off assets.
Leila Gharagozloo-Pakkala, the organisation’s regional director for eastern and southern Africa, described the situation as "unprecedented".
"The El Niño weather phenomenon will wane, but the cost to children – many who were already living hand-to-mouth – will be felt for years to come," she said.
Countries including Lesotho and Zimbabwe as well as most provinces in South Africa have already declared a state of disaster thanks to growing resource shortages while in Ethiopia, the number of people in need of food assistance is expected to increase from more than 10 million to 18 million by the end of this year. Almost six million children there currently need food assistance.
Other affected nations include Somalia, where displaced populations make up the majority of those in need, Kenya, where floods are aggravating cholera outbreaks, Angola, where 800,000 people are facing food insecurity, and Malawi, which is facing the worst food crisis in nine years with 2.8 million people at risk of hunger.
– DAVID ADAMS
