Five-year-old Moti’s brown eyes reflect a sadness far beyond her years. Just seven months ago, her baby sister, only two years old, died of starvation. The loss has left an indelible mark on Moti, robbing her of her voice. Today, the only words she utters are about her sister.
“My sister liked to eat peanuts,” she whispers after much encouragement. “We took her to the clinic and came back without her.”
Moti and her mother, Jullio, now live in a displacement camp in Ethiopia. Like millions of others, they were forced to flee their home after a prolonged drought destroyed their way of life. “We used to have cattle,” says Jullio, 30. “But we lost everything. We came to the camp to get help, but the situation here is very hard. I am all alone.”
The hunger crisis in Ethiopia is staggering. Between July and September 2024, an estimated 13 million people, including 4 million internally displaced, faced urgent food insecurity. Mothers like Jullio are left grappling with impossible choices to keep their children alive.
“When my youngest fell ill, I used the little money I had to take her to the clinic,” Jullio recounts. “But the doctors said there was no hope. My baby died because of hunger. I had nothing to give her.”
Tragically, Jullio’s story is far from unique. Another mother, 25-year-old Jillo, lost her baby girl to malnutrition. “We came here with nothing after the drought took everything,” she says. “My child became malnourished and died.”
Despite these immense challenges, there is hope. Thanks to the generosity of donors, organisations like Plan International are providing lifesaving support to families like Moti’s. Emergency food assistance, clean water, and community resources are helping families survive today while also laying the groundwork for a better tomorrow.
Jullio dreams of rebuilding the life they once had. “The pasture is green now that the rainy season has started, but we have no animals to eat it,” she says. “Still, I won’t lose hope, for the sake of my children.”
The road to recovery will be long. Experts estimate it could take five years or more for pastoralist communities to rebuild their livelihoods. But with your help, we can continue to stand with families like Moti’s, offering not just immediate relief but also the support they need to rebuild their lives.
Every donation helps provide lifesaving aid, meals, and a chance to rebuild. Together, we can help families not just survive, but thrive.
