22/07/2026
Over the past 30 years, one of the most powerful parts of Children in Crossfire’s story has been our long-term partnership with St Luke’s Hospital in Wolisso, Ethiopia.
Together, we have continued to address the nutritional and health needs of some of the most vulnerable children in the Oromia region - not only responding to emergencies, but working for the long term: preventing severe malnutrition, improving access to safe water and helping communities understand what children need in their earliest years to survive and thrive.
This work changes lives.
As one mother, Mekedese, shared with us: “My child has transformed from being so frail. He can now sit up and move around. Initially, he couldn’t even lift his neck. Now, he plays, crawls, and eats well.”
In 2025 alone, with Children in Crossfire’s support, the St Luke’s team treated 326 severely malnourished children, while maintaining a low average mortality rate of 4.1%. Since the programme began more than 15 years ago, over 8,000 severely malnourished children have had their lives saved through treatment at St Luke’s. Through community outreach and prevention work, many more children have been supported before malnutrition became severe, with parents receiving practical guidance and vulnerable children being identified and referred much earlier - greatly improving their chances of survival and recovery.
A child’s diet in the first five years of life has a lifelong impact. Poor nutrition affects physical and cognitive development, influences educational outcomes and shapes the opportunities children have as they grow. Across Ethiopia, chronic undernutrition remains a major challenge, with 38.6% of children under five stunted. This is why the work at St Luke’s is about so much more than responding to short-term crisis - it is about long-term human development for children, families and communities.
As we continue to reflect on the past 30 years, our partnership with St Luke’s is a powerful reminder of the life-changing difference our supporters make possible. Because of your support, children have been given not just treatment, but the chance to recover, grow and look to the future with hope.
Thank you for helping make this story possible.
