UNITED KINGDOM GIVES $6.4 MILLION TO UNICEF FOR EMERGENCY NUTRITION RESPONSE IN ETHIOPIA

ADDIS ABABA, 22 December 2009 �

UNICEF today announced a $6.4 Million contribution from the United Kingdom towards emergency nutrition interventions in Ethiopia. The donation is being used to purchase ready-to-use therapeutic-foods (RUTF) and milk, drugs and equipment required for the management of severe malnutrition for 80,000 children. Funds will also be used to train health workers,
health extension workers and NGOs on treating severe malnutrition. UNICEF is supporting the Government of Ethiopia to respond to the emergency nutrition needs of severely malnourished children. A large part of the response
strategy focuses on providing home-based treatment using ready-to-use therapeutic products for children who do not require clinical care. A child with severe acute malnutrition faces a 30-50 per cent risk of dying without proper care. Treatment with ready-to-use therapeutic products can reduce the risk of death to less than five per cent. Most cases of severe acute malnutrition, if identified in time, can be treated at home using RUTFs. 밒n 2009, Ethiopia achieved a massive increase in capacity to treat severe acute malnutrition at the village level by training and enabling health extension workers to provide out-patient therapeutic care,� said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Representative to Ethiopia. 밫he support of donors like the United Kingdom will enable the continued roll-out of the strategy in 2010 saving thousands of children뭩 lives.� The donation comes as Ethiopia continues to face the impact of drought that left
more than 6 million people requiring food aid in 2009. Given present estimates, UNICEF requires an additional $14.7 million for emergency nutrition response in Ethiopia in 2010.

* Source : http://www.unicef.org/ethiopia/ET_PR_DFID_NUTRITION_2010.pdf