ESAT News (October 6, 2017)
Acute malnutrition crisis and disease outbreaks is worsening in the Somali region of Eastern Ethiopia, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an international medical humanitarian organisation.
The MSF crises update says three rainy seasons in a row without substantial rains have led to a humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. Crops have failed, cattle have died and millions of people across the country are facing food and water shortages.
It said people in the Somali region are particularly affected by acute malnutrition crisis and disease outbreaks.
The crisis is further burdening a population that has been affected by acute watery diarrhea and outbreaks of other diseases such as measles.
This year alone MSF teams have so far treated 12,284 children under the age of five with severe malnutrition in the Somali region.
It has also treated 15,893 cases of acute watery diarrhoea this year.
MSF warned that beyond malnutrition and acute watery diarrhea, other outbreaks are imminent in the Somali region and the risk is increasing with rains expected to start in mid-October.