Food security collapsed, my child had low weight, my breast milk stopped, there was nothing to eat, so I came here'

ETHIOPIA'S malnutrition crisis has reached unprecedented levels, leaving many people fighting for survival.

- Steph Spyro

War and food shortages have taken a devastating toll, which is most evident in the eyes of malnourished children in the state of Tigray.

Mother-of-two Tsequ Weheri, 30, cradles her nine-month-old daughter Seminal, whose tiny fingers crinkle a transparent piece of plastic at the region's Dera Health Centre.

Tsequ said: "Six months ago, we had a huge collapse in food security. My child had a low weight, so I came here. My breast stopped producing milk.

"When I was pregnant, there was nothing to eat.

"After giving birth, my child was underweight." The struggle against hunger and disease is a daily battle amid a looming famine, with mothers and health workers united in a battle to survive.

Nurses measure malnourished children's weight and mid-upper arm circumference to gauge their nutritional status.

The children then receive a highly nutritious diet supplement provided by Unicef.

This delivers a critical boost in an environment where three meals a day are a luxury virtually no one can afford.

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