Child growth, shocks, and food aid in rural Ethiopia

Takashi Yamano (), Harold Alderman () and Luc Christiaensen

No 3128, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: Over the past decades child stunting in Ethiopia has persisted at alarming rates. While the country experienced several droughts during this period, it also received enormous amounts of food aid, leading some to question the effectiveness of food aid in reducing child malnutrition. Using nationally representative household surveys from 1995-96 and controlling for program placement, Yamano, Alderman, and Christiaensen find that children between 6 and 24 months experienced about 0.9 cm less growth over a six-month period in communities where half the crop area was damaged compared with those without crop damage. Food aid was also found to have a substantial effect on the growth of children in this age group. And on average, the total amount of food aid appeared to be sufficient to protect children against plot damage, an encouraging sign that food aid can act as an effective insurance mechanism, though its cost-effectiveness needs further investigation.

Keywords: Food&Nutrition Policy; Gender and Development; Development Economics&Aid Effectiveness; Food&Beverage Industry; School Health; School Health; Food&Beverage Industry; Food&Nutrition Policy; Development Economics&Aid Effectiveness; Poverty Lines (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003-08-01
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Related works:
Working Paper: CHILD GROWTH, SHOCKS, AND FOOD AID IN RURAL ETHIOPIA (2003)
Journal Article: Child Growth, Shocks, and Food Aid in Rural Ethiopia (2005)
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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:3128

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