Mothers in Ethiopa are fighting to keep their children healthy, in the face of the worst drought to affect the country in 25 years.  Drought creates a food crisis, leading to malnutrition, with children as always the first to suffer.

Hindi brings her eight-month-old son Jamal to an early childhood development center in the Fentale District of Ethiopia. Photo by Jake Lyell.

Hindi, a mother from the Fentale District of Ethiopa, smiles for the camera as she holds her 8 month old son Jamal on a visit to a ChildFund supported ECD centre.  There the child can be assessed and weighed to monitor the effects of creeping malnutrition.    The drought caused by an absence of rains has seen crops decimated.   Over ten million people are estimated to be affected by the drought and a worsening food crisis.  When this photograph was taken in early December, Hindi would have already been deeply concerned about her son Jamal, now several months later the crisis continues to unfold with no immediate sign of rainfall and relief.

ChildFund is working in affected Districts to identify and assist children and their families most as risk from malnutrition but the scale of the problem is already huge and getting bigger by the day.

This International Women’s Day we ask you to consider the mothers of Ethiopia and the stress and worry they must be feeling as they battle to protect their young from malnourishment in the face of a serious and worsening food crisis.  Please pledge what you can and help us in the fight to help these women and protect their children’s health and development by supporting our Ethiopian Food Crisis Appeal today.

Thank you

ChildFund Ireland