As world leaders prepare for the Glasgow Climate Change COP, Action Against Hunger launches a campaign to highlight the link between the climate crisis and the devastating hunger crisis affecting millions of mothers and children across the globe.

Mothers on the Frontline launches on Friday 1 October , showing the direct link between the climate crisis and the hunger crisis. With 11 million children across the globe at risk of extreme hunger, mums are on the very frontline defending their children from deadly malnutrition.

This campaign highlights the desperate plight of millions of mothers around the world, including Ethiopia and Madagascar – the first country on the brink of famine due to the climate crisis.
Action Against Hunger finds that in Ethiopia, livestock are unable to produce milk due to lack of grass, which means families cannot sell milk to buy food to feed their children. Meanwhile, in southern Madagascar, mothers are resorting to feeding their children cactus leaves, due to the chronic shortage of food that has been caused by crippling droughts over the last two years.

Head of Advocacy at Action Against Hunger, Kate Munro, says: “Mums the world over, experience hardship and worry taking care of a family. Mothers living in the regions worst affected by the climate crisis have the same worries as us, but they are also living with the rising threat of extreme events – like droughts, floods and heatwaves - that could wipe out their only means of feeding their children.”

Munro continues: “The climate crisis is already a reason why young children are arriving at Action Against Hunger clinics in need of treatment for severe malnutrition, which causes over three million child deaths a year. It is a great worry to us that more young lives will be lost with the accelerating rise in extreme weather events. Urgent action is needed to both cut greenhouse gas emissions and give all mothers the support they need to ensure their child gets good nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life. This is vital for health, growth and life itself.”

Findings from a recent intergovernmental climate change report show that the effects of the climate crisis are here to stay and that Africa is feeling its effects most severely: this is directly increasing the number of malnourished children on the continent.

Action Against Hunger is responding to climate-related hunger crises in a range of countries, including Madagascar and Ethiopia.

In the province of Borena, on the southern tip of Ethiopia, flash floods, droughts and the worst locust infestation recorded in the region contributed to some 19.2 million people needing humanitarian assistance from charities like Action Against Hunger.

Case Study: Meet Mum Medina

Medina (21) is nine months pregnant and lives in a traditional home in Guchi, Ethiopia, with her husband Isac Aden (30) and her 18-month-old daughter, Munira.

Isac works long hours as a farmer and takes care of the family’s two cows. He is away for hours at a time but when he returns, Medina lights up. He is a loving and attentive father to Munira and naturally worries for her health and development. They are a happy family and love spending time together when they can.

They live in an unforgiving part of Ethiopia. Guchi is dry and windy, with no trees to shelter the villagers from the elements.

The family’s basic diet is a mixture of local grains, potatoes and some greens, when they are available.

When Munira was 11 months old, she started losing weight and rejecting food. Medina took Munira to hospital but they didn’t know what was wrong, so the baby’s condition continued to worsen.

Medina said: “Munira was very sick, she was so sick for a long time. Back then, she stopped taking breast milk. She did not eat and had no strength. I was so worried that I didn’t know what to do. I was just holding her all the time. Her hands became so thin.”

After months of seeking help from local hospitals, family members and neighbours, Medina found an Action Against Hunger outreach team who were raising awareness about child malnutrition and letting residents know about a clinic to support mothers and children.

Medina took Munira along to the clinic, where the team diagnosed her baby with malnutrition by measuring her upper arm. Munira was given medicine and nutrient-rich food that helped her put on weight and replace some of the nutrients she had been missing. The clinic saved her life and mum Medina was elated. She said: “I noticed her belly was getting bigger and her body was getting thicker. I was so happy, so happy.”

Call to action: Stand With Mums
Action Against Hunger is providing assistance to mums and their children in number of ways, from medical clinics providing, nutrient-rich food for babies and small children with malnutrition; to water trucks dispensing life-giving water to drought-affected areas; to mobile units providing nutritional advice; and to teaching farmers new ways of farming to adapt to the climate crisis.

Kate Munro from Action Against Hunger highlights: “Mothers are doing all they can for their children, but it’s still not enough. They go to incredible lengths to feed their children, but they’re up against unimaginable obstacles. These mums need our help to fight against hunger and the purpose of his campaign is to highlight their plight so we can continue to support them.”

To support the campaign, donate here http://againsthunger.uk/press