The newly appointed CEO of Save the Children International Helle Thorning-Schmidt visits drought-affected region as Ethiopia is in the grip of its worst drought in 50 years

Monday 11 April 2016

The newly appointed CEO of Save the Children International, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, has travelled to some of the worst affected communities in Sitti Zone, Somali Regional State. She urges the international community to step up its support.

 Save the Children International CEO Helle Thorning-Schmidt visiting Fedato village, Ethiopia

“If we act now, we can prevent the suffering of children who are in severe risk of chronic hunger and food shortage. Thousands of children are at high risk of malnutrition and waterborne diseases. Families are on the move, desperate to find food and water. By any measure Ethiopia now ranks among the most pressing humanitarian crisis in the world”

Save the Children International CEO Helle Thorning-Schmidt visiting Fedato village, Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Government has been providing strong leadership to respond to the drought and has committed an unprecedented $380 million USD. Communities are better prepared and equipped than they have ever been. Nevertheless the Ethiopian government has asked for support to avoid the worst effects of the crisis.

Thorning-Schmidt continues “we have all the right early warning systems in place to prevent potentially enormous human suffering, but, what use is early warning if the international community doesn’t come forward? Save the Children is urging the international community to respond”.

Save the Children International CEO Helle Thorning-Schmidt visiting Fedato village, Ethiopia

During a meeting with the Ethiopian Country Office head quarter staff, she urged “We need to change the lives of all children in the world by sending them to school and providing them with quality education; make sure that they live in a protected way of child hood and grow as an adult having the necessary skills for their future”.

Save the Children International CEO Helle Thorning-Schmidt speaking during a meeting with the Ethiopian Country Office head quarter staff

She also had a meeting with Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia and the African Union Commission higher officials.

Thorning-Schmidt joined Save the Children International as its new Chief Executive on April 4th. The former Danish Prime Minister replaced Jasmine Whitbread as head of the umbrella organization for Save the Children, the world's leading independent children's charity, with responsibility for programs reaching over 55 million children in 120 countries.

Save the Children is working in close to 100 stabilization centers to support children at risk of malnutrition. Save the Children is working closely with the Government of Ethiopia to ensure that stocks and treatment are available to treat children with malnutrition. Treatment aims to address Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), and also to stop cases of Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) from developing further.

Ethiopia is now two thirds of the way into its spring wet season but rains are now two months overdue. The spring rains are expected to yield 15 days of rainfall a month from February to April but places like Sitti Zone in the east, and the remote Afar region in the north have seen barely any rain. The same areas received three days of rainfall during the same period in 2015. The region has now suffered three failed seasons in a row since mid-2014. The area affected is vast, with a population of around 30 million – more than a third are already in need of emergency food assistance. Water trucking initiatives are mobilized across the affected region, delivering water to those with no safe source.

The drought is driving an increasing number of people inland. More than 14,000 pastoralist families have been on the move since July, looking for work or clean water supplies.  The main ‘hunger season’ in Ethiopia starts in April and peaks in August.

Save the Children International CEO Helle Thorning-Schmidt posed for a group picture with Ethiopia Country Office senior management team