As many as 33,000 Zimbabwean children are in urgent need of treatment for acute malnutrition in wake of severe famines triggered by El Nino, according to a new report by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
This is the worst draught the country has faced in the last 15 years, caused by two seasons of failed rains, dwindling food reserves, and dried up water sources.
UNICEF estimates that nearly four million people may be in need of food aid, out of which 2.8 million live in rural areas including about 1.4 million children below the age of 18.
"Children are enduring the greatest force of this crisis. We have not seen these levels of malnutrition in more than 15 years and although the government and its partners are doing their best to assist, more needs to be done to prevent this crisis from spiralling out of control," said UNICEF representative Jane Muita.
The starvation among children has increased beyond the threshold limit which requires an emergency response by the welfare organization. About 2.1% of children aged under five years are suffering from malnutrition, which is higher than 2% level that necessitates need for international aid.
Children under 2 years are the ones who are adversely affected, and the most common symptoms noted among infants are swelling of arms and legs, which is caused by oedema.
The Zimbabwean government also said that a huge portion of the population is in need of food aid, as food prices of staple food have risen sharply from last year.
"Thousands of children in Zimbabwe and across southern Africa are slipping into malnutrition and death. Many are not going to school due to hunger and this represents a big loss to the communities and countries across the region. If we do not see a positive response in funding, we may see even more children malnourished or dying," Beatrice Mwangi of World Vision told Christian Today.
Unicef has appealed for a $21 million aid to prevent the food shortage to develop into a full-blown crisis, as hungry population has more than doubled since last May, and 35% of the homes don't have adequate water supply, which increases the risks of typhoid, diarrhea, cholera, and other water-borne diseases.
Media manager at World Vision, Henry Makiwa, said that Zimbabwe is facing extreme economic challenge worsened by the famines, which is expected to continue for another two years.
"We all know that a delayed response usually leads to spending more money trying to rectify the emergencies. We also know that many children across southern Africa have high levels of stunted growth due to poor diets and food shortages meaning this crisis may in future lead to us seeing a generation that is unable to perform to its fullest potential. It's like losing an entire generation," he said.
Leila Gharagozloo-Pakkala, UNICEF regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa, warned that this is an unprecedented situation, which might have lasting effect on children.
"The El Niño weather phenomenon will wane, but the cost to children, many who were already living hand-to-mouth, will be felt for years to come," she warned.
