More than one million people, including 345,000 children, are at risk of starvation as the worst famine since 1985 devastates communities in South Sudan.
In response, ChildFund Australia has launched the Africa Food Crisis Appeal, working in partnership with Plan International Australia to provide emergency food aid to the worst affected communities.
ChildFund Australia CEO Nigel Spence said: “A deadly combination of El Nino weather patterns, three years of civil conflict and collapse of the local economy has resulted in this horrific situation for children and families in South Sudan.
“It is also extremely concerning that neighbouring countries may shortly follow suit. We could see one of the worst ever humanitarian emergencies in north-east Africa unfold.”
The United Nations formally announced today that the food security crisis in South Sudan had now reached famine conditions. A famine can only be declared when three scenarios are met:
– At least 20 per cent of households in an area face extreme food shortages with a limited ability to cope;
– Acute malnutrition rates exceed 30 per cent; and
– The death rate exceeds two persons per day per 10,000 persons.
This is the situation in South Sudan today, and it is estimated that more than 20 million children and families across four countries, including Ethiopia and Kenya, could face life-threatening food shortages over the coming months.
“The extreme drought conditions, compounded by mid-season rain failures, are forcing many families to leave their villages in order to find the resources they need to survive. As a result, this is now the third largest refugee crisis worldwide.
“People already severely malnourished are taking to the road in a last ditch attempt to survive. We urge the Australian Government to support the international humanitarian response so that children and families are not forced to flee their homes and face even greater dangers.”
Photo Credit: Kate Holt/AP
In drought-stricken Ethiopia, ChildFund continues to work with the United Nations, government agencies and local partners to provide nutritious food, clean water, healthcare and other essential child wellbeing services.
According to ChildFund Ethiopia’s National Director Chege Ngugi: “We are seeing fewer cases of acute malnutrition among children under age five, new mothers and the elderly.” The total number of children admitted to ChildFund’s Therapeutic Feeding Program (TFP) has declined by 18 percent in comparison to June 2016.
However, Chege warns that renewed food shortages continue to be a significant threat to families in rural communities. Chege explains: “This season’s below-average Kiremt (winter) rainfall means that further challenges are ahead.” The El Nino weather conditions mean low levels of rain in October and November has led to poor harvests in Oromia and the Rift Valley. As a result, many households are likely to run out of staple foods between now and May.
With funding from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), as well as private donors, ChildFund and its partners have been distributing fortified cereals and cooking oil to help thousands of acutely malnourished children aged under five, as well as pregnant and lactating women, since the food crisis emerged in 2015.
ChildFund continues to address water shortages by drilling boreholes in communities, providing pumps and improving water access – this ensures communities have water available nearby for cooking and drinking, as well as sanitation purposes. Hygiene workshops for community leaders means better hygiene behaviours are being adopted at the local level, which in turn reduces the incidence of disease, particularly among young children.
Additionally, funding from UNICEF has enabled ChildFund to establish 20 Child-Centred Spaces and community groups, to promote children’s well-being. Most recently, 130 high school students took part in a peer education program which focused on children’s well-being, and which will enable them to better protect themselves and other children during the coming food crisis.
