150 villages already affected by famine. Orphans are particularly vulnerable.
Bonn - Freetown, 18th May 2015. While Ebola crisis committees in Germany and other countries are being disbanded, a huge food crisis is threatening Sierra Leone, as food shortages strike. Due to the country-wide quarantine measures that were necessary to prevent the spread of Ebola, fields could not be adequately cultivated. “Food and seeds have been scarce since the start of the outbreak”, says Jochen Moninger, Welthungerhilfe Country Director in Sierra Leone. “There are already 150 villages affected by famine and we are expecting a dramatic spread by the end of May.”
The Ebola epidemic and its consequences are affecting children in particular. Hundreds lost their parents and relatives over the last few months. “We are already supporting the Ebola orphans and those left behind to save them from starvation. The worst-affected people are receiving food and a money voucher card, to ensure survival in case of need”, explains Moninger. “The epidemic has shown how vulnerable the health care system is in West Africa. In order to avoid a repeat of the disaster, a sort of Marshall Plan is required. It means stabilising infrastructures over the long-term in countries like Sierra Leone, so that they are better able to deal with future crises”, emphasises Moninger.
Welthungerhilfe is fighting against the effects of the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone together with the Federal Foreign Office, Ärzte ohne Grenzen, the WFP, ECHO and Street Child.
Welthungerhilfe is one of the biggest private aid organisations in Germany. It provides aid from a single source: from fast disaster relief and reconstruction to long-term development cooperation projects with local partner organisations, according to the principle of help for selfhelp.
Since its foundation in 1962, more than 7,350 projects in 70 countries have been supported with 2.66 billion Euro – for a world without hunger and poverty.