Topic: 2026 – Combating Malnutrition
Country: Ethiopia
Delegate Name: Ella Riddle
SIMUN Conference
Committee: United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF)
Topic: Combating Malnutrition
Country: Ethiopia
Delegate: Ella Riddle
Ethiopia has been burdened with the issue of malnutrition for over four decades, more than 10 million people across the country are facing hunger. Despite ongoing and previous efforts to combat this issue, there continues to be persistent high rates. In 2019, over 57% of under-5 deaths were attributed to malnutrition. In addition to this, 4.4 million pregnant and breastfeeding women and children are currently in need of treatment. Moreover, Ethiopia is facing many humanitarian crises that are contributing factors to this issue. Spring and summer rains have decreased by 15-20% since the 1970’s. Consequently, Ethiopia has been hit with many droughts that have led to millions in need of food. Malnutrition is also driven by persistent poverty and economic instability–the poverty rate being 38.64% in 2021– which limits a person’s ability to afford nutrient-dense foods. This issue is crucial to the country’s stability because malnutrition in children causes high mortality, irreversible damage, and long-term setbacks in children.
The government of Ethiopia recognizes that addressing malnutrition in children is important for development. Consequently, actions have been taken to reduce all forms of malnutrition including implementing policies, programs, and interventions that have been put in place. The Seqota Declaration was passed in July of 2015 which is a commitment by the Ethiopian Government to end malnutrition and stunting in children under two years old by 2030. Additionally, in 2018 the Food and Nutrition Policy was passed, aimed at ensuring food security and optimizing nutrition status for all citizens. Despite consistent efforts, malnutrition continues to be an issue due to external environmental factors like drought. Malnutrition has caused significant high mortality rates and many nutritional deficiencies in children.
Currently, the Ethiopian government has put into place many multisectoral and community-based programs. One of these programs includes the Health Sector Transformation Plan II(HSTP–II), which aims to achieve health coverage for all citizens through different services. However, the country of Ethiopia is not able to build these programs on their own. At the center of Ethiopia’s policies, there is a heavy reliance on international help and funding. Historically, 50-60 percent of the nation’s budget is from foreign aid. Many of these donors are the United States, European Union, World Bank, and United Nations agencies.
To continue to combat malnutrition, Ethiopia needs additional international help. One possible solution to this problem would be partnering with UNICEF to build climate-smart agriculture systems. Creating a hydroponic system would allow families to grow food with little to no soil, making many crops resistant to droughts. Partnering with United Nation agencies would allow the ability to create effective solutions to limit wasting and create mobile health groups that would target rural areas. Ultimately, international partnerships are crucial to the development and future of children in Ethiopia.
