The world’s fourth biggest island of Madagascar off southern Africa is experiencing its worst drought in decades.
The World Food Program estimates 1.6 million people are on the verge of becoming acutely malnourished, a third of them are children.
Barnabas Fund says people are eating ashes flavoured with tamarind, just to put something in their stomachs.
The agency says covid is rife and with almost no clean water, people cannot wash to protect themselves from the virus.
The Fund reports at least 80,000 Christians are among those needing help.
It plans to send nearly 250 tonnes of a highly nutritional special porridge called ePap to the region .
Local churches are taking responsibility for transport costs and labour to help distribute it.
Deforestation, climate change and natural weather variability are being blamed for the drought.
