A Catholic nutrition officer working in the Hela Province has highlighted high rates of severe malnutrition within communities of people displaced by ongoing tribal conflicts. Sylvester Walanduo, who has worked in over 40 communities in four districts of Hela, said food shortages and the lack of understanding about nutrition put very young children at risk. "Over the last two years, I've screened 31,463 children...this is from data I have personally collected," Walanduo said. "Eleven thousand and ninety-five children suffer from mild to severe cases of malnutrition." Sylvester Walanduo is employed by the Catholic Diocese of Mendi through its Caritas office, which works with communities. His work has taken him all over the Hela Province, including tribal fighting hot spots where large numbers have fled from violence. An important detail that has come to the fore through the data collection is that severe malnutrition is prevalent among children in displaced communities. According to UNICEF, almost half of all children under the age of five in Papua New Guinea are stunted, or shorter than average for their age, due to chronic malnutrition. This condition has long-term and irreversible consequences for children's survival and development because of its effects on brain development and learning. In many instances, he has found families who have sought refuge because the fathers were killed in tribal fights. "With displaced communities, they are unable to make gardens.” “They can't feed their families.” "For them, it's about survival.” “That's where I see some of the highest rates of severe malnutrition."