Is This the Hungriest Place on Earth?

I found this news article on BBC World News. It was written on Friday April 2nd, 2010. The article was written by Andrew Harding about the town of Akobo. Akobo is now the "hungriest place on earth" according to aid officials after a survey. The survey showed that 47% of the children under 5 are malnourished. The towns hospital, which is falling apart, holds the most serious cases. Children lay on beds in anguishing pain as their mothers try to feed them. "The situation is not good" said Bernadette Tata, a nurse in the Akobo hospital. "But we can cope."

This picture is of a mother struggling to feed her child.

The World Food Programme estimated that over half the population will need help at some point this year. Save the Children, an organization working in Akobo, warned of this problem ahead of time. "In a region where a 15-year-old is more likely to die in childbirth than she is to complete primary school, life will remain tough for many years to come," said Kate Foster. The region has been involved in a civil war for 21 years with the North. In January 2011, the South is expected to vote for full independence. This is just a taste of the problems to come for the region.

Picture courtesy of BBC World News.