Ethiopian malnutrition claims 'completely fabricated'
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The Ethiopian Government has described as a fabrication a statement by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), that six million children need urgent help to save them from malnutrition.
In a report last month, UNICEF blamed the malnutrition on poverty in areas of severe drought.
The report received widespread international attention at the time and prompted calls for action.
But Health Minister Tewodros Adhanom says UNICEF's estimate is exaggerated.
"The total affected is 4.5 million population. How can you have six million children out of 4.5 million total affected during drought?" he said.
"[This] doesn't make any sense. So the six million children issue is completely exaggerated, it's actually a fabrication."
The head of UNICEF in Ethiopia, Bjorn Ljungqvist, denies causing the confusion.
