Print version Email to a friend

Save the Children launches mass feeding programme to reach every child under three in drought-hit areas of Kenya.

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:52 GMT

Source: member // Save the Children UK

Every child aged between 6 months and 3 years in parts of northern Kenya hit worst by drought will receive emergency food supplies as Save the Children and other agencies launch a mass feeding programme this week. 

With 2.3 million malnourished children in East Africa (UN) facing starvation, the food supplies will save lives by ensuring that young children and new mothers in the districts of Wajir and Mandera have enough to eat. 

The launch of the feeding programme comes as the African Union meets in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Abba, today seeking to raise funds to help fill a shortfall in the UN’s emergency appeal for East Africa of more than a billion dollars.

Rates of malnutrition have soared to 32 percent in some parts of northern Kenya, more than double the international emergency threshold of 15 percent, leaving children vulnerable to disease and in the worst cases, death.

Even if they recover, the effects of malnutrition during early childhood can affect children for the rest of their lives – they can become stunted and not grow to their physical and mental potential.  

Prasant Naik, Save the Children’s country director in Kenya, said: “Parents are seeing their children waste away and lives are being lost as families go without food for days. This is totally unacceptable. This feeding programme means the most vulnerable children will have enough nutritious food to survive the coming weeks and months."   

Alasa, a mother of seven in Wajir says her family is struggling to survive: "If there was no emergency ration I would have to move somewhere else where I could find emergency food. We eat corn soya [cereal] blend during the day, and nothing in the evening, when sometimes we drink some tea. We drink tea black as there is no milk."

Over the next five months, Save the Children's staff will be distributing 6kg of a fortified cereal blend and 0.6 kg of vegetable oil to 100,000 children, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers on a monthly basis.

The feeding programme will ensure that the most vulnerable children are receiving nutritious food in order to help prevent malnutrition as the drought continues to push families into hunger across East Africa.

The food will also be distributed to pregnant and lactating mothers to help in the battle to keep babies healthy and will support the health of breastfeeding mothers. Breast milk provides food, fluid and helps to increase babies’ immune systems.

But more money is needed to continue with the huge emergency response underway in drought affected regions of East Africa. In addition to urging African governments to pledge aid money, Save the Children is asking for long-term support to drought affected communities from governments attending today’s conference.

The children's charity is appealing for £65 million for its drought response in East Africa. The children's charity is working across Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, providing food, water and medical care to children and their families, and protecting vulnerable children living in drought affected areas.

To donate to Save the Children's East Africa appeal go to www.savethechildren.org.uk/eastafrica-appeal or call +44 20 7012 6400.

For interviews, Broll, photos or more information please contact the Save the Children Press Office on +44 7831 650409

No child should die just because they can’t get medical help. But in the poorest countries, there’s a critical shortage of doctors, nurses and midwives. Help us tell government: now is the time for action. www.savethechildren.org.uk/healthworkers