Aceh's children face malnutrition

Aceh's children face malnutrition

SWITZERLAND: One in eight small children examined in and
around the tsunami-ravaged Indonesian provincial capital of Banda
Aceh is suffering from acute malnutrition, the United Nations
Children's Fund (Unicef) said on Friday.

Diarrhea, fever and coughing were also widespread among the
614 children under age five and 300 women examined in a survey
last month, the agency said in a statement.

An earthquake and killer waves which swept Indian Ocean
coastal areas on Dec. 26 killed more than 231,000 people in Aceh,
on the northern tip of Sumatra.

By mid-January, governments across the world had pledged an
unprecedented US$5.5 billion in aid to tsunami-hit countries, and
individuals and corporations promised at least $2 billion more.

The World Health Organization (WHO), another U.N. agency, has
said there is a risk of outbreaks of deadly diseases such as
cholera in Aceh, where the tsunami destroyed hospitals and homes,
forcing tens of thousands of people to live in temporary camps.

Unicef said acute malnutrition was prevalent in 12.7 percent
of the children, while 42.6 percent had suffered from diarrhea,
69.7 percent from coughs and 55.9 percent from fever.

The agency is helping Indonesian health officials immunize 1.3
million children in Aceh against measles, and has also provided
vitamin supplements. -- Reuters