- Title: Chad climate disaster leaves record 2.1 million people hungry
- Date: 12th October 2022
- Summary: N'DJAMENA, CHAD (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 26, 2022) (Reuters) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM SEVERE MALNUTRITION IN A NUTRITION UNIT IN NOTRE DAME DES APOTRES HOSPITAL IN CHAD'S CAPITAL A WOMAN FENDING OFF FLIES AROUND A MALNOURISHED CHILD ENTRANCE TO THE NOTRE DAME DES APOTRES HOSPITAL WHERE MALNOURISHED CHILDREN ARE TREATED ENTRANCE TO THE NUTRITION DEPARTMENT VARIOUS OF A ROOM WHERE SEVERAL CHILDREN RECEIVE THEIR TREATMENT KELLOU BICHARA HISSEIN, MOTHER OF A MALNOURISHED CHILD IN HOSPITAL TAKING CARE OF HER CHILD KELLOU BICHARA HISSEIN'S CHILD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOTHER OF A MALNOURISHED AND HOSPITALIZED CHILD, KELLOU BICHARA HISSEIN, SAYING: "My child has been hospitalized here for a week. At the beginning, he was vomiting and having a lot of diarrhea. He had fever all the time, couldn't eat and couldn't sleep. As a result, he was loosing a lot of weight and was getting weaker and weaker. Now that he is in hospital, he is much better. He is taking milk and eating the enriched porridge. We don't have the means and fortunately the care is free." FATIMÉ MAHAMAT IDRISS, MOTHER OF A MALNOURISHED CHILD AND HOSPITALIZED WITH HER CHILD VARIOUS OF FATIMÉ MAHAMAT IDRISS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOTHER OF A CHILD WHO IS SICK AND HOSPITALIZED, FATIMÉ MAHAMAT IDRISS, SAYING: "My child has been in hospital for over a week because she is sick and too weak to eat. When we arrived here, she was given milk with a syringe and regular injections every day. Now she is much better and her face is changing. I am very grateful to the doctors who look after the children here, they are almost their second mothers. Thank you for the products because we will never be able to buy them because of our situation or even to get the food it is difficult." MALNOURISHED CHILD VARIOUS OF A CHILD RECEIVING TREATMENT FOR MALNUTRITION WOMEN IN HOSPITAL CARING FOR MALNOURISHED CHILDREN VARIOUS OF ALEX TOGYANGUE, ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER OF THE NUTRITION DEPARTMENT OF THE NOTRE DAME DES APOTRES HOSPITAL AND OTHER DOCTORS CARING FOR MALNOURISHED CHILDREN (SOUNDBITE) (French) HEAD OF ADMINISTRATION IN NUTRITION UNIT IN NOTRE DAME DES APOTRES HOSPITAL, ALEX TOGYANGUE, SAYING : "From year to year, we are realizing that the number of malnourished children is increasing. For example, in the year 2020, we admitted 1,261 children. For the year 2021, this number has increased from 1261 to 1700 children. Now this year, while we have not yet finished the year 2022, we are already at 1700 children hospitalized." VARIOUS OF A CHILD FEEDING A MALNOURISHED BABY WITH A NASOGASTRIC TUBE VARIOUS OF A WOMAN CARING FOR A CHILD WITH A NASOGASTRIC TUBE DOCTORS AND DR APPOLINAIRE DOTENAN CARING FOR MALNOURISHED CHILDREN (SOUNDBITE) (French) DOCTOR TREATING MALNUTRITION, DR APPOLINAIRE DOTENAN, SAYING: "The state of malnutrition is a state in which, when a child is in a state of malnutrition, there is a decrease in his or her cognitive abilities, so it directly influences his or her profitability both academically and in terms of economic productivity. And studies show that a malnourished child, even if treated successfully, has a chance of having a 22% decrease in economic productivity." ENTRANCE PANEL OF THE FORTIFIED FLOUR PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT VARIOUS OF A WOMAN PACKAGING FORTIFIED FLOUR A BAG OF ENRICHED FLOUR A WOMAN PUTTING AWAY BAGS OF ENRICHED FLOUR MOIKIM NODJI EMMANUEL, NUTRITIONIST AND HEAD OF THE ENRICHED FLOUR PRODUCTION UNIT, NEXT TO PACKETS OF ENRICHED FLOUR (SOUNDBITE) (French) NUTRITIONIST AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENRICHED FLOUR PRODUCTION UNIT, MOIKIM NODJI EMMANUEL, SAYING : "The demand is really big to the point where we won't even be able to get by if we continue with this state. There are many, many, many people asking for this flour nowadays. Apart from the treatment of malnourished people, there are people living with HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis and others and it is used for their treatment too." WOMEN SELLING FORTIFIED FLOUR VARIOUS OF A WOMAN BUYING FORTIFIED FLOUR A FLAG OF ACTION AGAINST HUNGER HENRI-NOEL TATANGANG, COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR ACTION AGAINST HUNGER IN CHAD WORKING HENRI-NOEL TATANGANG, COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR ACTION AGAINST HUNGER IN CHAD SHOWING A MAP (SOUNDBITE) (French) COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR ACTION AGAINST HUNGER IN CHAD, HENRI-NOEL TATANGANG, SAYING: "The bad rain last year caused this situation, today the heavy rains have caused damage to our production. In general, we are coming out with well analysed situations during the month of November to get all the data during the harmonised framework, which will reflect what is going on but we are already expecting very bad figures, it will be practically red everywhere. We will have to find formulas, solutions, contact our technical and financial partners to be able to continue to respond to this situation which will be quite serious next year. This year it is already serious, it will get worse and we must react in the short, medium and long term to get out of this situation.â€
- Embargoed: 26th October 2022 12:36
- Keywords: Chad Malnutrition children flooding health
- Location: NDJAMENA, CHAD
- City: NDJAMENA, CHAD
- Country: Chad
- Topics: Africa,Disaster/Accidents,Floods
- Reuters ID: LVA001150511102022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:On a bed at the Notre Dame des Apotres Hospital in the capital N'Djamena, Fatimé Mahamat Idriss, 28, feeds her gaunt toddler through a feeding tube.
When the harvest failed, her husband sought work in a gold mine in the north, leaving no food for her and their three children.
"He was loosing a lot of weight and was getting weaker and weaker." explains Fatimé Mahamat Idriss "Now that he is in hospital, he is much better. "
Fatimé is far from being the only mother facing this situation. According to Alex Togyangue, nutrition unit head of administration, this year already 1700 children have been hospitalized, more than the las two years.
Severe drought followed by the worst floods in 30 years have lead to rocketing food prices and left a record 2.1 million people in Chad acutely hungry, according to United Nations agencies.
As a result of the climate disaster, 10% of all children under five are affected by acute malnutrition, and one in three will suffer from stunted growth, said the United Nations children's fund. It is not only their physical growth that is affected.
"When a child is in a state of malnutrition, there is a decrease in his or her cognitive abilities, so it directly influences his or her profitability both academically and in terms of economic productivity. " says Dr Appolinaire Dotenan, a doctor treating malnutrition.
If the situation does not improve, a whole generation in Chad will see their future compromised because of malnutrition.
(Mahamat Ramadane, Elodie Toto, Christophe Van der Perre) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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