Since 2013, CNEWA’s nutritional support program in northern Ethiopia has fed more than 8,000 children in 24 Catholic schools. But prolonged rain failure in many parts of the Horn of Africa from February to September 2015 threatened millions of people with malnutrition in 2016 — in Ethiopia alone, more than 10.2 million people were in jeopardy. Northern Ethiopia, which borders Sudan, Eritrea and Djibouti, is among the most vulnerable of areas.

Our primary partner there, the Ethiopian Catholic Eparchy of Adigrat, encompasses much of this mountainous terrain, with its remote and often inaccessible villages and settlements. Building on our feeding program there, CNEWA released funds in three installments to support the eparchy’s efforts to feed families, utilizing alternative distribution centers to focus on the most vulnerable: children, nursing mothers, pregnant women and the elderly.

Our team in Addis Ababa worked closely with the bishop and his team and identified those most vulnerable to malnourishment and death: 5,000 children living in the most remote and inaccessible districts of the eparchy; 2,500 children between 6 months and 5 years of age; more than 1,000 pregnant women and nursing mothers; and some 700 elderly people. This emergency mobilization has been most effective. Service providers are well organized and prudent, and the needs of those most susceptible to malnutrition are being met.

For a full accounting see www.cnewa.org/web/ethiopiadrought.

Lives are being saved. But, hunger remains, particularly in the remote and inaccessible mountainous areas, and the situation remains tenuous.

To help feed more children and their families, call: 1-800-442-6392 (United States) or 1-866-322-4441 (Canada).