LIFETIMES update 4

SAVING
CHILDREN’S
LIVES AND
THEIR
FUTURES
OUR FIGHT AGAINST THE HUNGER CRISIS
It is not an exaggeration to say that millions of children’s lives are on
the line.
The combined impact of conflict, climate change, and rising food prices due to
the war in Ukraine has left almost one million people facing famine conditions
across five countries and children are already losing their lives. A further 45
million people are on the brink of famine across 37 countries.
Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by this crisis, as they often
eat last and eat least, and children are always the most vulnerable. Malnutrition
caused by extreme hunger remains one of the biggest killers of young children
around the world – and it is only getting worse. . But it is entirely preventable.
We don’t need to spend billions on researching a cure or developing a vaccine.
We know how to treat malnutrition and how to prevent it. What we need is a
unified global response from governments, NGOs, and people like you to stop
this hunger crisis.
We need to change the course of this global crisis.
CRISIS IN SOMALIA
Afghanistan, Ethiopia, South
Sudan, Yemen and Somalia are
the five countries where the
situation is most dire.
Across the Horn of Africa, up to
26 million people are expected to
be facing critical hunger levels in
Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia by
the end of 2022.
In Somalia, the rains failed for the
fourth time in a row, and crops
and animals’ grazing land have
turned to dust. The impact of
COVID-19 has piled on more
pressure, hitting families’ incomes
and savings, and disrupting lifesaving
health services.
On top of that, a global shortage
of grain as a result of the war in
Ukraine has sent food prices in
East Africa soaring.
Save the Children's Global
Humanitarian Director,
Gabriella Waaijman has recently
been on the ground in Somalia.
Watch a little of what she saw
and the impact the drought is
having on communities.

AN UNACCEPTABLE REALITY
We recently received an email from
Ebrima Saidy, Save the Children's
Chief Impact Officer which
describes the heart-breaking
situation in Somalia so clearly.
Dear colleagues,
I'm emailing from Baidoa where I've been working with
our team on the ground. The situation is worrying and
made me angry.
Our health facilities there are seeing an overwhelming
increase in demand – double the usual numbers of cases –
and the severity of the situation is scaring even
experienced staff. The centre is full every day and they
worry about resources running out.
Every child brought to our health facility has diarrhea,
vomiting and loss of appetite. These are the terrible early
signs of their bodies failing them, the signs that within
days/weeks, and without urgent interventions, many
children will end up with severe complications resulting
potentially in death. The ones able to reach our services
are the lucky ones.
This is an unacceptable reality.
One woman told me she has three sick children but could
only carry the most malnourished one for the 90km walk
to Baidoa. She left the other two sick children in the
village hoping they will be ok when she returns. These are
terrible choices that no parent should be forced to make.
I worked in Somalia for three years, but what I am
witnessing now is potentially a cliff edge. We said that
what happened in 2011 cannot happen again on our
watch. If we don’t want it to happen all over again, we
need a renewed sense of urgency.
Sincerely
Ebrima Saidy, Chief Impact Officer
WE'VE STOPPED FAMINE BEFORE...
During the extreme drought in East Africa in 2016, Save the Children was among the
organisations who helped avert famine in Somalia.
We have the experience and operations to save children's lives, treat malnutrition, and
better prepare communities for future shocks.
We've now prioritised 21 countries impacted by the
global hunger crisis which require the most urgent action.
...WE CAN DO IT AGAIN

THE HUNGER CRISIS – IT'S NOT JUST
ABOUT FOOD
There’s more to this story than just a lack of food. Here’s how a
perfect storm of shocks has created the worst global hunger
crisis in decades:
CONFLICT & DISPLACEMENT
While the global hunger crisis has been caused by
multiple crises, conflict and displacement remain the
main drivers. In 2021, more than 70% of people facing
critical hunger were living in conflict-affected countries.
INFLATION
The war in Ukraine has accelerated what was already a
catastrophic situation. With the conflict disrupting global
supply chains, food supplies are shrinking while food
prices are soaring.
CLIMATE
With the number of climate-related disasters tripling in
the past 30 years, climate shocks are repeatedly
decimating farming communities, driving displacement,
and pushing millions into acute hunger.
COVID-19
Even before the war in Ukraine, the global economy and
food systems were suffering from the COVID-19
pandemic. In 2020, the pandemic increased the number
of undernourished people globally by 132 million.
LIFE-SAVING SUPPORT
Reza* is 13 years old and lives with his
extended family - including his sister-in-law
Leila* (25) and her four children - in a single
room mud home in northern Afghanistan.
It's a very remote community and there is
little access to clean water, health facilities
or a school.
Reza has never been to school and is the
main breadwinner for his extended family.
The community used to survive by raising
livestock and growing wheat on the rolling
hills, but, after years of drought, their wheat
harvests have failed and families have been
forced to sell their livestock because they
cannot feed them.
The economic crisis in Afghanistan -
triggered after the Taliban regained control
in 2021, and exacerbated by the current
global rise in food costs - has contributed to
a sharp decline in the family's income.
After losing one baby last year to
malnutrition, Leila's son recently received
treatment at a Save the Children mobile
clinic. Other support, including cash grants
and truckloads of water has also been given
to families.
GENDER INEQUALITY
Long-standing gender inequality has resulted in women
being more likely to suffer from hunger. In nearly twothirds
of countries around the world, women are more
likely to report food insecurity.
Reza*, 13, and his family received
treatment at a Save the Children
mobile clinic in Afghanistan.
*Name changed to protect privacy
Leila's son receives treatment at the mobile clinic.

CALLING ALL FOODIES!
Curious to know how well you know
different foods from around the
world? Have a little fun by trying out
our short quiz which was created for
World Food Day on 16 October.
A LIFESAVING TOOLKIT
Our community health workers are
trained to recognize severe acute
malnutrition before it becomes lifethreatening.
The power of our
community-based approach is that
early detection leads to better rates of
survival for children.
In 2021 alone, we helped over 10
million children improve their
nutrition through interventions like
infant feeding and ready-to-use
therapeutic foods.
Click below to watch our video about
how our community health workers
treat severe acute malnutrition.
Watch video
Fatima became very sick with Severe Acute
Malnutrition (S.A.M) and was treated in a hospital
supported by Save the Children. She was given
special milk and peanut paste to help her gain weight
and recover.
Today, both Fatun and Fatima are healthy and happy.
“We are living in the town now. The entire family is
doing great. I go to a good school and learn things.
When I complete my studies, I would like to be a
teacher.” Fatun
Fatun* and Fatima* at home in Puntland, Somalia
CHERISHING EVERY MOMENT TOGETHER
Fatun*, 10, and her little sister Fatima*, four, cherish every moment together.
“I play with her and make her laugh all the time. I tell her stories and she keeps
laughing!” says Fatun.
But things were hard for the family in 2019, when drought hit Somalia.
“We had goats, but they were killed by the hot weather and the drought,”
Fatun explains. The goats had been their main source of income and so the
family were forced to relocate. The girls' mother, Amina opened a tea shop to
replace her lost livelihood.
Fatun and Fatima in 2019 after
Fatima was treated for malnutrition.
* Names changed to protect identity
URGENT APPEAL
Right now, S.A.M. is threatening
the lives of 386,000 children in
Somalia.
With your help we can continue
to support hospitals and provide
life-saving care to children like
two-year-old Yasmiin* who is
severely malnourished. Save the
Children staff recently met
Yasmiin and her mother, Astur*
at the displacement camp on
the outskirts of Baidoa. They
immediately assessed Yasmiin,
diagnosed her with malnutrition
and referred her to Save the
Children’s stabilisation centre
where she is receiving
treatment.
Astur* recently lost her 4-yearold
daughter to measles. Save
the Children’s medical team said
without intervention Yasmiin
would only have survived a
week but she is now expected
to make a full recovery.
If you'd like to change the
future of children like Yasmiin,
I'd love to hear from you.
mandy.carian@scnz.org.nz
ph: 04 381 7572
Thank you for your wonderfully
generous support which is
helping children to not only
survive, but to move forward
into a more positive future.