Global food price rises exacerbate famine in Ethiopia and Somalia

Around 4.5 million Ethiopians are in need of food aid, with as many as 75,000 children facing acute malnutrition and illness.

Ken Caldwell, international operations director for the charity Save the Children, explained, Hunger hits children first and hits them hardest. Ethiopian children, who are going hungry because their parents cant afford to feed them, will be among the first victims of the global food price rises.

As in previous years the impact of a poor belg rainfall (the belg rains fall March to May) has left the area to be classified by FEWSNET (famine early warning network) as either highly or extremely food-insecure.

A Reuters report of June 13 quoted Elisabeth Byrs, of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Seasonal rains have been poor or have failed in many parts of Ethiopia with dramatic effects on harvests in crop-producing areas, she explained, and the effects of the drought had doubled the numbers needing food aid.

All the NGOs working in Ethiopia repeat the danger to children. The American-based CHF International explains how the droughts effect on livestock means that milk production has almost ceased, and that this is having a marked impact on childrens nutrition.