Worrying aid shortages as malnutrition hits record high in Ethiopia

By Katy Migiro

NAIROBI, Nov 2 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Donors are not responding fast enough to urgent calls for more aid to drought-stricken Ethiopia where record-breaking numbers of children are suffering malnutrition, the United Nations said on Monday.

Ethiopia is experiencing its worst drought in decades, after low and erratic rainfall during the spring and summer, leaving more than eight million people in need of food aid.

"The El Niño-caused drought emergency is worsening and is worryingly underfunded despite repeated calls by the Ethiopian government and humanitarian partners for additional funds," the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

The El Niño weather phenomenon, caused by Pacific Ocean warming, is causing droughts and floods across eastern Africa.

The number of children admitted to hospitals with severe acute malnutrition, meaning they are likely to die without therapeutic feeding, has hit record levels, the U.N. said.

In September, there were more than 35,000 new admissions, bringing the number of children under 5 years old treated for SAM this year to more than 250,000, the U.N. said.

Children are falling critically ill because of the failed rains along with shortages of food aid, particularly supplementary nutrition given to the most vulnerable members of the population, it said.

Women and girls are travelling up to 30km (18.6 miles) a day in search of water, their burden increased by the death of their livestock.  Continued...