One in Eight Kids in Banda Aceh Badly Malnourished

One in eight small children examined in and around the tsunami-ravaged Indonesian provincial capital of Banda Aceh is suffering from acute malnutrition, the U.N. 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 last December 26 killed more than 117,000 people on Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra island. By mid-January, governments across the world had pledged an unprecedented $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. (Source: Reuter Health, February 2005)