‘El Niño leaves 1m children malnourished’

BARCELONA: Nearly 1 million children need treatment for severemalnutrition in eastern and southern Africa due to drought that is putting millions more at risk of hunger, water shortages and disease, the UN children’s agency said onWednesday. Even though the powerful El Niño weather phenomenon blamed for the drought is forecast to dissipate in the coming months, its impact on people in affected countries will last far longer, the UN has warned. "El Niño...will wane, but the cost to children - many who were already living hand-tomouth - will be felt for years to come," said Leila Gharagozloo- Pakkala, regional director for east and southern Africa with the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef). "Governments are responding with available resources, but this is an unprecedented situation. Children’s survival is dependent on action taken today," she added in a statement.—Reuters