The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Children and their families living in Ethiopia's lowland regions of Afar, Oromia, The Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ and Somali regions struggle to survive from a severe drought which is drying up water wells, killing livestock and crops and pushing hundreds of thousands of children and their families to the brink. Due to three consecutive failed rainy seasons, the country requires urgent humanitarian assistance.
Speaking today at a news briefing at the United Nations in Geneva, UNICEF's Representative in Ethiopia, Gianfranco Rotigliano, said that “it is a drought that is affecting almost seven million people on their livelihood, on food security”. He added that “it is something which is already pretty advanced and bad, but that could worsen dramatically if the next rainy season which is due in April, after mid-April, would not come the way it should come.”
Most severely impacted regions are the lowland areas of southern and eastern Oromia and Somalis regions where around 225,000 malnourished children and over 100,000 pregannt and breastfeeding women need urgent nutrition support.
“There is a need to improve the status of the health centers, the nutritional centers where the severely acute, malnourished children can be admitted and treated correctly. And all of that is something that should be done within the next 2, 3 weeks”, said Mr. Rotigliano.
UNICEF is appealing for US$ 31 million to provide lifesaving support to more than 2 million in Afar, Somali, SNNPR and Oromia regions.
There is a significant lack of clean water and the food security is deteriorating rapidly leading to an increase in malnutrition cases.
UNICEF’s Ethiopia representative said that “the rate of acute malnutrition is already at 20%, which is well above the rate that we have in global emergencies, which is estimated to 15%.”
UNICEF, in close coordination with the local authorities, is providing life-saving assistance, including the rehabilitation of boreholes and water schemes, emergency water trucking, treatment of severely malnourished children.
“We have animals dying at an impressive rate which is increasing every month”, reported Mr. Rotigliano. “A death of an animal means lack of food for children, for families, lack of money, of course, so to buy food, lack of milk. And that is definitely something which is already happening”.
UNICEF is witnessing also major displacement out of affected areas; children are also missing out an education due to the drought.
According to UNICEF’s Ethiopia representative, “the population is moving already from the lowlands to the highlands, displacing themselves, leaving behind the small children that could not travel with relatives and coming up with children that are 11 or 12 and above that dropped out of school. So, we estimate already more than 155,000 children out of school.”
It is also projected that in 2022, an estimated 850,000 children will be severely malnourished across the four regions due to multiple causes namely conflict, drought, and economic downturn.
“We are having hundreds of thousands of children severely malnourished, so with acute severe malnutrition these are already numbers that are extremely worrisome, and we expect, of course, the mortality rate to increase”, said UNICEF’s Ethiopia representative.
-ends-
- Exterior wide shot, United Nations Palace of Nations, Geneva, UN flags flying.
- Wide shot and pan, press room UN Geneva.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Gianfranco Rotigliano, UNICEF Representative in Ethiopia: “It is a drought that is affecting almost seven million people on their livelihood, on food security. And it is something which is already pretty advanced and bad, but that could worsen dramatically if the next rainy season which is due in April, after mid-April, would not come the way it should come.”
- Medium shot, TV screen with speakers next to podium.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Gianfranco Rotigliano, UNICEF Representative in Ethiopia: “There is a need to improve the status of the health centers, the nutritional centers where the severely acute, malnourished children can be admitted and treated correctly. And all of that is something that should be done within the next 2, 3 weeks.”
- Medium shot, participants listening with TV screen to rear.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Gianfranco Rotigliano, UNICEF Representative in Ethiopia: “The rate of acute malnutrition is already at 20%, which is well above the rate that we have in global emergencies, which is estimated to 15%.”
- Medium shot, masked participants listening.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Gianfranco Rotigliano, UNICEF Representative in Ethiopia: “We have animals dying at an impressive rate which is increasing every month. And a death of an animal means lack of food for children, for families, lack of money, of course, so to buy food, lack of milk. And that is definitely something which is already happening.”
- Medium shot, back of a journalist with cameraman standing behind the camera.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Gianfranco Rotigliano, UNICEF Representative in Ethiopia: “The population is moving already from the lowlands to the highlands, displacing themselves, leaving behind the small children that could not travel with relatives and coming up with children that are 11 or 12 and above that dropped off school. So, we estimate already more than 155,000 children out of school.”
- Medium shot, masked participants listening.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Gianfranco Rotigliano, UNICEF Representative in Ethiopia: “We are having hundreds of thousands of children severely malnourished, so with acute severe malnutrition these are already numbers that are extremely worrisome, and we expect, of course, the mortality rate to increase.”
- Medium shot, participants listening and taking notes.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
Gaza: One million receive food parcels as humanitarians race to ‘push back hunger’
Food is slowly returning to the shelves in Gaza amid “apocalyptic scenes” but supplies are still desperately inadequate, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday, as they issued fresh calls for wider access and continued financial support.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango today told the bi-weekly UN press briefing in Geneva of more details that are emerging on the atrocities committed in El Fasher, in Sudan during and after its takeover by the Rapid Support Forces.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango made the following comment on Friday at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani made the following comment on Friday at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , WHO
Sudan: UN Raises Alarm Over Mass Atrocities in El Fasher as Survivors Report Executions, Killings and Rapes
More details continue to emerge about atrocities committed during and after the fall of El Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan on 23 October. Since the powerful paramilitary group made a major incursion into the city last week, the UN Human Rights Office has received “horrendous accounts of summary executions, mass killings, rapes, attacks against humanitarian workers, looting, abductions and forced displacement,” said Seif Magango, spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
Ukraine: Russian attacks on energy terrorize population as winter starts; could trigger major ‘crisis within crisis’
The UN’s top aid official in Ukraine expressed concern on Friday about “continuous attacks” on energy production sites and distribution facilities.
1
1
1
Edited News | HRC
Navi Pillay Retires After Decades Defending Human Rights and Pursuing Justice
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The telecommunications shutdowns in Afghanistan in September had serious and far-reaching impacts on people’s lives, according to a briefing paper published today by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence at the UN Geneva press briefing made the following comment on the ASEAN declaration on the right to a healthy environment.
1
1
1
Edited News | IFRC , OCHA , WMO
‘Catastrophic’ Hurricane Melissa hours from landfall in Jamaica as humanitarians rush to save lives
Millions in Jamaica and across the Caribbean are bracing for massive impact from Hurricane Melissa on Tuesday as the UN and partners are warning of a “severe” and “immediate” humanitarian threat.
1
1
Edited News | WHO
‘We need all routes to open’: in Gaza WHO calls for ramp-up of medevacs, easier access for essentials
Two weeks since a ceasefire agreement entered into force in Gaza the World Health Organization (WHO) noted progress on the flow of aid while calling for more evacuations of critical patients and eased entry for essential medicines and supplies.
1
12
1
1
Edited News | WMO , UNITED NATIONS
UN chief urges boost to life-saving weather warning systems, stresses role of climate change science
No country is safe from the devastating impacts of extreme weather — and saving lives means making early-warning systems accessible to all, UN chief António Guterres said on Wednesday.