Nutrition is a cross-cutting issue that directly affects child survival, maternal health, and long-term socioeconomic development. Ethiopia faces high rates of malnutrition, including acute and chronic malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Malnutrition during the critical first 1,000 days (pregnancy to 2 years) puts children at risk of stunting, which affects 40% of Ethiopian children (Mini DHS 2014). While under-five stunting, wasting, and underweight have declined, the high stunting rate—especially in rural areas and among families with lower education and wealth—remains a major concern. Regional variation ranges from 22.9% in Addis Ababa to 49.2% in Afar, with seven regions above 30%.

MCMDO has implemented 12 nutrition projects (with 3 ongoing), focusing on CMAM, SBCC on nutrition, and prevention of hidden hunger and micronutrient deficiencies. Our work has reached over 838,541 beneficiaries across rural communities, IDPs, and refugee camps in 40 woredas nationwide. The organization’s efforts have drawn international recognition, including a visit by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to our nutrition projects in Oromia.