Life saving efforts in Ethiopia continue

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Life saving efforts in Ethiopia continue

UNHCR, 19 Aug 2011

In Ethiopia, a large scale effort has meanwhile been underway to address the high mortality rates among new arrivals from Somalia. Malnutrition remains the leading cause of death but the situation is being compounded by suspected measles and other diseases.

Children under the age of five, already weakened and exhausted by hunger and the long journey to the camps, are especially vulnerable and remain the priority focus. Severely malnourished children are at very high risk of complications such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and measles, which can be a fatal combination.

We are expanding existing nutritional programmes to older children and are rushing to open a dedicated stabilization centre for severely acute malnourished children in Kobe camp, which has been experiencing the highest mortality rates. Virtually all of its 25,000 residents have crossed into Ethiopia over the past ten weeks - fleeing drought, famine and conflict in Somalia. So far this year, more than 77,000 Somalis have found shelter in Ethiopia, joining the many others already there.

Following the measles vaccination of all children between the ages of six months and 15 years of age in Kobe camp, a second mass vaccination programme began yesterday (Thursday, 18 August) in Melkadida. Melkadida, which is also in the Dollo Ado area, is the biggest refugee camp in Ethiopia with a population just under 40,000. Across the four camps at Dollo Ado, we have so far identified 166 cases of suspected measles and 15 related deaths.

The children will be vaccinated against measles and polio, and screened for malnutrition. Efforts are being stepped up to bring services closer to the refugees and to encourage parents to continue to take children for treatment at health centres. Together with our government counterpart and aid agencies, UNHCR is opening satellite health posts and nutritional feeding centres, where malnourished children receive therapeutic feeding to encourage weight gain.

Our teams on the ground are working on improving sanitation and hygiene and on increasing the quantity and quality of water delivered to the camps. Refugee leaders and community outreach workers have been engaged to deliver three key messages to refugees: hand washing, use of latrines and referral of sick children to the health centres.