Mortality during a famine -- Gode district Ethiopia July 2000.

In Ethiopia 3 consecutive years of drought led to widespread loss of livestock population displacement and malnutrition placing an estimated 10 million persons at risk for starvation. This paper summarizes the results of a mortality survey conducted by the collaborative effort of the Save the Children US the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance of the US Agency for International Development and the UN Childrens Fund. A total of 595 households comprising 4032 persons were surveyed. Of the 293 deaths that occurred during the study period 158 (54%) were in children aged 5 years when measles-related mortality is high in this age group. This study underscores the importance of humanitarian interventions prioritizing measles vaccination with vitamin A distribution water and sanitation programs and food aid.