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Why we needed your help

With thousands of children in Ethiopia facing acute malnutrition, the British Red Cross launched an appeal to provide emergency aid. The appeal has now closed and thanks to the generosity of the public £170,500 was raised.

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    Village of Buge

    Man talking:

    From March until September last year, there was heavy and continuous rain. The rains destroyed the crops we planted and nothing grew. This year, there was a lot of sun and no rain so it was very dry which caused drought and many people staved because nothing grew.

    Woman talking:

    Before the Red Cross came to help us my family had no food to eat and no clothes to wear and we suffered so much. We were weeping and feeling helpless.

    Lorenzo Violant - Head of operation IFRC:

    While the situation in general is quite bad, after the drought, I would say coupled with the enourmous increase in the food prices have put the families over here are very complicated situation. In spite of the fact we can see the place is quite green the access to land is very limited for most of the families so the situation is quite critical.

    Man talking:

    The crops are growing. We are happy now, because of the help of the Red Cross. We have planted the maize seeds that the Red Cross gave us and we are eating the food they gave us and feeding our cattle the left over maize.

    Gedlu Beyene - Ethiopian Red Cross Society:

    The volunteer service is very important for us, the backbone of the Red Cross because the volunteers are coming from their community centres so they are reliable for our distribution.

    Man talking:

    We went from house to house with some members of the local women's and youth associations and elders who know the village well. We looked at each house and identified the worst cases

    Lorenzo Violant - Head of operation IFRC:

    We have started already with emergency seed distribution. We intend to work with livestock and also water and sanitation components. It is our idea to carry on with this general food distribution up until November, entering into a transition period of a more recovery orientated program.

    Man talking:

    I was interested in being a volunteer beacuse I heard the Red Cross helped people. I saw in movies and in the media that it helps people and I can confirm, it helps people who are in need

    Voice over:

    The Red Cross is providing emergency relief to more than 75,000 people in southern Ethiopia. We need your help so we can carry on distributing food and seeds to those who most need them. Please give whatever you can now. By phoning 0845 054 7206 or visiting redcross.org.uk/foodcrisis . Help us to help them.

Many households in the Wolaita area in southern Ethiopia are unable to get enough food even in a good year.
Since last November, three harvests in a row have failed due to floods and drought. Added to this, food prices have shot up. This means that people who need to buy more food as a result of losing their crops cannot afford to do so.

Farmers are not the only people affected. The poor in rural and urban areas are completely dependent on the market.

From bad to worse

Over the past few months the situation got worse and living conditions have deteriorated. Many people have exhausted all their resources and are unable to feed themselves.

Food prices have risen by 330 per cent after a year of adverse weather conditions and high general inflation. Floods in late 2007 and unusually heavy rain in summer 2008 destroyed most of the maize, millet, wheat, teff grain and haricot bean crops. Then the short rainy season that usually occurs in August was dry. This has lead to severe food insecurity and water shortages.

The current Belg harvest is poor, which means people will go hungry until November, when the major harvest is due. The next two months are critical.

Accessing water and food

In Damota Pulasa in southern Ethiopia, nearly half of the 54 hand-dug wells and 13 of the 39 shallow wells are out of operation. As a result, people must walk long distances to fetch water and the health of the population – particularly that of young children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers – is at risk.Young boy

“There are more than 16,000 acutely malnourished children in Damot Gale and Damot Pulasa, of whom 1,614 receive intensive care in therapeutic centres across the two regions. The situation will deteriorate if we are not able to intervene efficiently,” warns Fasika Kebede, Secretary General of the Ethiopian Red Cross.

The Ethiopia Red Cross has been distributing food relief and improving access to water, as well as giving out seeds so farmers can plant again.

More about what the Red Cross is doing to help

How you can help

The people we are helping

Read more about the Ethiopia Food Crisis Appeal

Disaster Fund I would like to make a donation to the Disaster Fund

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British Red Cross, UK Office, 44 Moorfields, London EC2Y 9AL Phone: 0844 871 11 11. Fax: 020 7562 2000.

The British Red Cross Society, incorporated by Royal Charter 1908, is a charity registered in England and Wales (220949) and Scotland (SC037738).