Mortalidad infantil en África: 60 millones de niños pasan hambre

Magdalena Bordalí

6 jun 2019 04:33 PM

Baby Akusi being held by her sister Losike, 12, at a Ready to Use Therapeutic Food distribution at Lopiding Sub County Hospital in Lokichoggio in Turkana, Kenya. Baby Akusi, which means "wind," was born in September 2016 when consequences of the East Africa drought began killing animals. "When the drought started, it started with a wind," says her mother, Lomukuny Loyolo, "so I named her after the wind." Akusi has five siblings, including two sisters, Losike, 12, and Atoot, 11, who care for her when her mother forages for food. Lomukuny is a single mother. "My husband was killed by bandits," she says. Cattle raiding is costing many lives in Turkana and around the region as people compete for scarce resources. "Akusi is affected by the drought," says her mother. "When I was pregnant, I had nothing to eat." The family moved to Lokichoggio last year. "We used to live near the border [of South Sudan] with our animals." They owned 5 cattle and 10 goats. "All our animals died of drought." The family has become very weak. "You are hungry and then you are sick," says Lomukuny. She is very frightened. Akusi was admitted to the program because of her low z score. She had a middle-upper arm circumference of 11.0, a weight of 6.2 kilos, and a height of 69.2 giving her a Z score of -3. "My baby will improve, but what of me?" she asks. "And I'm very worried about my other children." The girls sing a lullaby to their new sister when she cries with hunger. "Your mother has traveled a long distance to find food. She's going to come soon. Don't cry."

En pleno 2019, la mitad de las muertes de niños en ese continente se deben a la falta de alimentación. 30 años después de la adopción de la Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño, y mientras el crecimiento demográfico de África continúa, el problema persiste.

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