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Food Crisis: Driven to Ethiopia by hunger and war

01 August 2011

Nearly half of the 118,000 Somalis currently stationed in the Liben refugee camp on the Ethiopean border – initially built to house 45,000 – arrived in the last two months alone. These mostly semi-nomadic shepherds and small-scale farmers - and their families - waited as long as they could for rains that never came. These images capture their arrival in the Liben camps and the desperate search for means of survival in a place they may never be able to leave.

Kobe camp, Liben, Ethiopia

Kobe camp, Liben. “The refugees arrive in very weak health after the long journey to the Ethiopian border from their place of origin,” explains Guillem Pérez, coordinator of the emergency in Liben, Ethiopia. Semi-nomadic shepherds or smallholder farmers, many waited in vain for as long as they could for the rains to come. Photo: Sisay Zerihun / MSF
Preregistration camp Liben, Ethiopia

Liben pre-registration camp. Somali refugees wait to be transferred to the transit camp where they are officially registered as refugees and given their first food rations. Sisay Zerihun / MSF
Liben pre-registration camp, Ethiopia

Liben pre-registration camp. 55% of children under the age of five who arrive at the Liben camps are malnourished. MSF assesses the health of the family as soon as they arrive to transfer the most serious cases to health centres. Photo: Sisay Zerihum / MSF
Pre-registration camp, Liben. It takes up to twenty days to reach the border. Some travel by night to avoid armed men.

Pre-registration camp, Liben. It takes up to twenty days to reach the border. Some travel by night to avoid armed men. Photo: Sisay Zerihun / MSF
Pre-registration camp. Refugees load their belongings onto the van that will take them to the transit camp

Pre-registration camp, Liben. Refugees load their belongings onto the van that will take them to the transit camp. Almost half of the refugees in Liben (118,000) arrived in June and July, fleeing drought. Originally built to shelter 45,000 people, the camps are now completely overstretched. Photo: Sisay Zerihun / MSF
Transit camp. Refugees queue to get a food ration. The transit camp was built to shelter a few hundred people. Until new camps are opened at Liben, it is currently housing over 15,000.

Transit camp, Liben. Refugees queue to get a food ration. The transit camp was built to shelter a few hundred people. Until new camps are opened at Liben, it is currently housing over 15,000. Photo: Sisay Zerihun / MSF
Refugees are in need of food, water and tents. Many have to make their own shelters out of branches and bits of cloth.

Transit camp. Refugees are in need of food, water and tents. Many have to make their own shelters out of branches and bits of cloth. Overcrowding at the camp exacerbates hygiene and sanitation problems and has an impact on health overall. Photo: Sisay Zerihun / MSF
Most of the children admitted with severe malnutrition have diarrhea and are dehydrated. Decent drinking water is a must at the camps. The refugees are not currently getting enough water.

Transit camp, Liben. Most of the children admitted with severe malnutrition have diarrhea and are dehydrated. Decent drinking water is a must at the camps. The refugees are not currently getting enough water. Photo: Sissay Zerihun / MSF
After losing her entire livestock to the drought, 47-year-old Idimo Mohied walked for seven days with her youngest child.

Idimo Mohied Idivis. After losing her entire livestock to the drought, 47-year-old Idimo Mohied walked for seven days with her youngest child. Having spent ten days in the pre-registration camp, she has been at the transit camp for over a week. She would like to be rehoused in a ‘normal’ camp as soon as possible. At present, her food rations are insufficient and she has nowhere to sleep. Photo: Sisay Zerihun / MSF
Waiting room at the MSF health centre at the transit camp. Mothers and fathers wait as their children are weighed and measured and, if necessary, admitted to the nutrition programme.
Waiting room at the MSF health centre at the transit camp. Mothers and fathers wait as their children are weighed and measured and, if necessary, admitted to the nutrition programme. Photo: Sisay Zerihun / MSF
Measles vaccination. Some six hundred under-15s are vaccinated every day at the transit camp. Coupled with high levels of malnutrition, measles can be fatal.
Measles vaccination. Some six hundred under-15s are vaccinated every day at the transit camp. Coupled with high levels of malnutrition, measles can be fatal. Photo: Sisay Zerihun / MSF
Unloading sacks of flour at Kobe camp. Families of malnourished children receive additional food (flour and oil) and a blanket.
Kobe Camp, Liben. Unloading sacks of flour at Kobe camp. Families of malnourished children receive additional food (flour and oil) and a blanket. Photo: Sisay Zerihun / MSF
When her livestock died and the crops failed, 30-year-old Amina Dakey walked for over a week to reach Liben. “We sold our last goats to buy food for the journey but it wasn’t enough.” Food prices in Somali have rocketed. As a result, Amina’s youngest child is receiving therapeutic food at Kobe camp.
When her livestock died and the crops failed, 30-year-old Amina Dakey walked for over a week to reach Liben. “We sold our last goats to buy food for the journey but it wasn’t enough.” Food prices in Somali have rocketed. As a result, Amina’s youngest child is receiving therapeutic food at Kobe camp. Photo: Sisay Zerihun / MSF
Bags of therapeutic food, flour and a blanket. Additional food is given out so that the therapeutic food for a malnourished child is not shared out with other siblings or other members of the family.
Kobe camp, Liben. Bags of therapeutic food, flour and a blanket. Additional food is given out so that the therapeutic food for a malnourished child is not shared out with other siblings or other members of the family. Photo: Sisay Zerihun / MSF
Children on malnutrition programmes go to a centre every week for a check-up.
Kobe camp, Liben. Children on malnutrition programmes go to a centre every week for a check-up. Photo: Sisay Zerihun / MSF
Aden Abdi, from Wajid, walked for ten days with his wife and four children. “All our goats died and we got nothing from our crops. My youngest child is malnourished and my wife is sick with respiratory problems.” Abdi is one of the few refugees who wants to go back to Somali, “if the rains return”.
Kobe camp, Liben. Aden Abdi, from Wajid, walked for ten days with his wife and four children. “All our goats died and we got nothing from our crops. My youngest child is malnourished and my wife is sick with respiratory problems.” Abdi is one of the few refugees who wants to go back to Somali, “if the rains return”. Photo: Sisay Zerihun / MSF
Bokolmayo camp. This is one of the longest running camps, set up in 2009. With a capacity for 20,000 people it is currently sheltering double. Two further camps are planned to deal with the current overcrowding.
Bokolmayo camp, Liben. This is one of the longest running camps, set up in 2009. With a capacity for 20,000 people it is currently sheltering double. Two further camps are planned to deal with the current overcrowding. Photo: Sisay Zerihun / MSF
Waiting room at Kobe camp health centre. MSF is running nutritional programmes at the five Liben camps on the Somali borders. Over 9,500 children are being treated for malnutrition.
Kobe camp, Liben. Waiting room at Kobe camp health centre. MSF is running nutritional programmes at the five Liben camps on the Somali borders. Over 9,500 children are being treated for malnutrition.Photo: Lali Cambra / MSF
Malkadida camp, health centre. Community health workers weigh and measure children to diagnose their degree of malnutrition and assess their development.
Malkadida camp, health centre, Liben. Community health workers weigh and measure children to diagnose their degree of malnutrition and assess their development. Photo: Lali Cambra / MSF
Malkadida camp stabilization centre. Doctor Carolina Nanclares explains that most children admitted with severe malnutrition have additional complications that endangers their life: persistent diarrhea and respiratory infections.
Malkadida camp stabilization centre, Liben. Doctor Carolina Nanclares explains that most children admitted with severe malnutrition have additional complications that endangers their life: persistent diarrhea and respiratory infections. Photo: Lali Cambra / MSF


by Dr. Radut.