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<p align="center"><img src="EAfrbn5b.JPG" width="387" height="124" alt="Drought in Eastern Africa"></p>
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<h6><i><b>Updated 18 April 2000</b></i></h6>
<h3><b>Background</b></h3>
<p><a href="/newsline/00pr37.htm">Read the latest press release on the situation
in eastern Africa</a>.</p>
<p>A serious drought has been developing across eastern Africa since early last
year, placing millions of people in danger of starvation. The failure of rains
has put tremendous strain on the nutrition, health and general welfare of
as many as 16 million people in a dozen countries, including millions of children.
</p>
<p>Immediate assistance from the global community is needed in order to stave
off a possible disaster.</p>
<p>UNICEF estimates that some 16 million people face immediate risk due to the
current drought. In the country of Ethiopia alone, about 8 million people
are in danger. Of those, about 1.4 million are children under age five.</p>
<p><img src="wGRO-005.jpg" width="225" height="300" alt="Copyright © UNICEF Geneva/GRO-005/Marc Vergara"><br>
<i>Photo: In Ethiopia, Muspa Kadi, an 18-year-old mother, watches over her
son, 10-month-old Abdi Muktar Harbi, who lies ill in the paediatric ward of
the hospital in the town of Gode, 500 km south-east of Addis Ababa, the capital.
The family lost all their cattle and walked for 10 days -- 100 km -- to reach
Gode, a principal gathering place for people seeking relief from the drought.</i>
</p>
<p>The drought conditions are having the most severe impact in Ethiopia, around
the towns of Gode, Denan and Imi (in southeastern Ethiopia). Other affected
areas include Oromiya, Dire/Yabello, South Omo, and Konso - all in the south
- and northern regions of Ethiopia including Wollo. </p>
<p>UNICEF has appealed for $7.7 million (January 2000) to meet immediate needs
for clean water, medicines, nutritional supplements for children and pregnant
women, and emergency education. Of this amount, UNICEF has received approximately
$500,000 (as of end March 2000). An increase in the appeal may be needed if
the drought worsens over the next few months.</p>
<p>Meeting food needs in this critical emergency is essential - but it is equally
important to protect children from illness and to help develop adequate water
supplies and support for farming. Without improved water and health care networks,
emergency food supplies will not fully protect the population in the long
run. All are all essential to saving the lives of children and women. These
are the areas in which UNICEF is devoting its resources.</p>
<p>Ethiopia has one of the world's highest levels of stunting among children
due to malnutrition (66% of children are under-nourished). It also has very
low primary school enrolment (24.9%), poor access to safe drinking water (under
20%) and poor health care services. With an under-five mortality rate of 173
per 1,000, an estimated 1,300 children under five die each day. With the highest
population in Africa, it is one of the poorest countries, ranked 172 out of
174 last year in its overall level of development.</p>
<p>All of these statistics mean that Ethiopia's large population is particularly
vulnerable to drought.</p>
<p>But Ethiopia is not alone. In Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, Somalia,
Tanzania and other countries of the eastern Africa region, millions of people
are threatened with starvation, illness and stunted development because of
drought conditions. Some countries have large numbers of internally displaced
people. Eritrea is an example. There, some 300,000 people have been forced
away from their homes by a border dispute with neighboring Ethiopia. The challenges
of being displaced from their homes - away from employment, food sources,
health care and education - are multiplied by the drought conditions. </p>
<p><b>Children's special needs</b></p>
<p>To protect young children, activities such as measles vaccinations, provision
of vitamin A and Oral Rehydration Salts, anti-malarial drugs and antibiotics
are crucial.</p>
<p>Approximately 500,000 school children are living in drought affected areas
in Ethiopia alone. Primary schools are closing down and children are leaving
schools to help</p>
<p>support individual family incomes. In the town of Gode, forexample, one-third
of primary schools have closed. In the Somali region, 76 schools are closed.</p>
<p>The migration of people increases children's exposure to the affects of dust,
sun and wind. Without shelter, children are more vulnerable to disease, especially
acute respiratory infections.</p>
<p><b>The UNICEF response</b></p>
<p>Across the region, UNICEF country offices are supporting Therapeutic and
Supplemental Feeding programs for children and pregnant women; investing in
improved water and sanitation systems; providing important health and hygiene
education to vulnerable populations; and initiating and supporting health
care with medicines, training for health workers, and technical guidance for
governments in the management of Tuberculosis and other diseases. </p>
<p>UNICEF is also delivering millions of high energy biscuits throughout the
region. These supplementary foods are especially good for helping children
and women maintain their strength and nourishment, and require no preparation,
water, or cooking.</p>
<p>UNICEF has also delivered millions of sachets of oral rehydration salts in
the affected countries, as well as and essential drugs for malnourished and
sick children.</p>
<p>Community water tanks and individual family water jugs are being shipped
into the region to help people gain store and use precious water supplies.</p>
<p>UNICEF has also supported measles and Vitamin-A campaigns undertaken in the
last two weeks.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="facts.htm">Continue</a></p>
<h5 align="center"><a href="main.htm">What UNICEF is doing</a> | <a href="facts.htm">Facts
and figures</a> | <a href="water.htm">Water supply systems</a> | <a href="support.htm">How
you can help</a> </h5>
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