Church sending Atmit to aid famine-stricken children in Ethiopia
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In response to the deepening drought in Ethiopia, the Church is sending 1.4 million pounds of Atmit — an easily digestible food — to help, among others, famine-stricken children, expectant mothers and the elderly in the African nation.
The first of 34 container loads of Atmit are expected to reach Ethiopia Sept. 19, according to Church Humanitarian Services.
Atmit — a porridge, made of oat flour, sugar, powdered milk, and a vitamin/mineral mix verified by nutritionists at BYU — was designed to help those so malnourished that they cannot digest whole grains and food made with coarse flour. The Church used it to feed thousands of malnourished children during the severe Ethiopian famine in 2003.
The United Nations humanitarian office reported the first week of September that food shortages in Ethiopia had reached alarming levels following widespread drought in the country. An estimated four million Ethiopians need emergency assistance and a further eight million need immediate food relief.
Severe floods hit Ethiopia last year, destroying most of the food crops. This year, drought has worsened the situation.
The Church is the only organization that produces Atmit.
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