People dying at an alarming rate in the south - EUE

The UN’s Emergencies Unit in Ethiopia (EUE) has warned that people are dying at an “alarming rate” in southern parts of the country. It said the affected areas had been hit by a “green famine” (famine despite the absence of drought) which had been exacerbated by poor targeting of food aid to starving families. Similar warnings had been issued by aid agencies, which said that the crisis was worsening in certain parts of the country, such as the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR). The situation was severe in Sidama and Welayta, both in SNNPR, the EUE said in a report titled ‘Green famine in Sidama and Welayta’. “Hundreds of children are severely malnourished and large parts of the population now not only suffer from malnutrition, but also from malaria," the unit noted. "In some kebeles [hamlets] people die at an alarming rate, due to a combination of lack of food, disease, inappropriate diet and unsafe drinking water.” It said there was “no end in sight” to the green famine which it blamed on the small size of landholdings, large family sizes and a lack of development. A population density of some 600 people per square kilometre places an enormous strain on the land and food needs are only just about met in good years, the EUE said, adding: “In bad years the system rapidly breaks down. Malnutrition therefore is chronic, mainly in families with many children and little or no land.” There has been no official death toll so far, but humanitarian organisations say tens of thousands have died. Diseases like diarrhoea and malaria are also proving to be big killers in the region. “Malaria medicines, supplementary food, must be dispatched to the problem spots as soon as possible,” the EUE recommended. It said a long-term solution had to be found to the crisis, including family planning for the region.