International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Baby Minhaj: Face of hope amid famine

Photos: 
Severly malnoutished baby Minhaj Gedi Farah
<p>Minhaj, two months after leaving the hospital. He&#39;s the picture of health at more than 17 pounds (8 kilos) -- nearly normal for a boy his age.</p><br /><br /><em>Photo: Photo: Edward Macharia/IRC</em><br /><br />
<p>When Minhaj first arrived at the hospital, he was not only malnourished but also severely&nbsp; anemic.&nbsp; It took three life-saving blood transfusions and weeks of intensive feeding with Plumpy&rsquo;nut, a vitamin-enriched peanut paste, before his condition stabilized and he could be released.&nbsp; Afterward, Minhaj was treated for tuberculosis in an IRC outpatient program.</p>
Minhaj with his mother, Assiyah Dagane Osman, in the IRC hospital
Minhaj with his mother, Assiyah Dagane Osman
Dr. John Kiogora holds baby Minhaj outside the IRC's Dadaab hospital
Minhaj with IRC nutrition nurse Sirat Amin.
Photo: Photo: Peter Biro/IRC

In refugee camps in Dadaab, northeastern Kenya, the IRC aids Somalis who have fled a devastating drought and gives fortified food to malnourished young children. One of these children —  skeletal seven-month-old Minhaj Gedi Farah — became the face of the famine for millions who followed his progress in the news. Today, three months after leaving the IRC's hospital, the chubby-cheeked little boy has become a face of hope amid the crisis.