Provide Lifesaving Relief to Drought Victims

The 2015-2016 El Niño phenomenon is one of the three strongest since 1950, and has the potential to surpass the strongest on record. El Niño is affecting different parts of the world with above- and below-average rainfall. Across Eastern Africa, the lack of rainfall has resulted in drought-like conditions, with 22 million people expected to be food-insecure in Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti and South Sudan. The effects of El Niño could last as long as two years.

Ethiopia is, in fact, experiencing its worst drought in over 50 years and the number of food-insecure people has grown from 2 million at the start of 2015, to 8.2 million in October and 10.2 million in December 2015, with the potential to increase further in 2016. Today, more than 430,000 children are severely malnourished, with the potential to rise to 500,000, while 1.7 million children and pregnant and lactating women require specialized nutritional support. From September through November, El Niño’s impact led to the displacement of 180,000 people within the country.

In response to the rising levels of food insecurity and resulting malnutrition, International Medical Corps is providing lifesaving relief to those in need in some of the most drought-affected areas of Ethiopia. We are seeking to scale our response efforts from our current 18 woredas or villages to 40. Our strategy emphasizes supporting acute malnutrition programs and preventive efforts, including infant and young child feeding programs; improving food security and livelihoods; increasing access to clean water and promoting proper hygiene practices; and providing comprehensive health care including primary, and sexual and reproductive health care, as well as psychosocial support for those in need. 

Because of the critical need to help build local capacity for future resiliency, International Medical Corps trains community volunteers to screen, treat and follow up on undernourished and malnourished children, and hires local mothers to teach their communities about healthy nutrition. Since 2009, we have successfully treated more than 51,600 severely malnourished and more than 40,500 moderately malnourished children and pregnant and lactating women in Ethiopia. We have also provided vegetable seeds, tools and training to more than 5,000 female-headed households in food-insecure woredas in Ethiopia’s Oromia region. Finally, International Medical Corps works with communities to construct latrines and rainwater-harvesting systems and rehabilitate water supply systems as needed. Trained volunteer hygiene and sanitation promotors have reached nearly 187,000 community members with proper handwashing and related practices that help prevent the spread of diarrhea and communicable diseases. The aim is to reduce the impact of malnutrition and unsafe water supplies resulting from the drought.

As the El Niño conditions continue into 2016, the timely and generous support of GlobalGiving and other donors is critical to International Medical Corp’s ability to provide lifesaving services for those who are most vulnerable and affected most deeply.