Child Growth, Shocks, and Food Aid in Rural Ethiopia |
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Authors: | Takashi Yamano Harold Alderman Luc Christiaensen |
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Affiliation: | Takashi Yamano is Fellow at the Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development. Harold Alderman is Lead Human Development Economist. Luc Christiaensen is Economist in the Africa Region of the World Bank. |
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Abstract: | Child stunting in Ethiopia has persisted at alarming rates, despite enormous amounts of food aid, often procured in response to shocks. Using nationally representative data, the study finds that while harvest failure leads to child growth faltering, food aid affected child growth positively and offset the negative effects of shocks in communities that received food aid. However, many communities that experienced shocks did not receive food aid. In sum, while food aid has helped reduce child malnutrition, inflexible food aid targeting, together with endemic poverty and limited maternal education, has left the prevalence of child stunting at alarming levels. |
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Keywords: | child growth child malnutrition Ethiopia food aid shocks |
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