In the 1980s, the stark images of starving children in Ethiopia launched countless charity efforts in response to famine that took a million lives.

Now, the signs of starvation showing up on adults have officials worried that poor rains and crop failure have contributed to a devastating situation. From the Associated Press:

“This year’s crisis, brought on by a countrywide drought and skyrocketing global food prices, is far less severe. But while figures for how many adults and older children are affected are not available, at least four aid groups interviewed by the AP said they noticed a troubling increase.


‘We’re overwhelmed,’ said Margaret Aguirre, a spokeswoman for the International Medical Corps, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based aid agency. ‘There’s not enough food and everyone’s starving, and that’s all there is to it.


‘Older children are starting to show the signs of malnutrition when normally they might be able to withstand shocks to the system,’ she added. ‘What’s particularly concerning is that the moderately malnourished are soaring. It’s increasing so much that it means those children are going to slide into severe malnutrition.’”