© UNICEF/Mauritania 2012/Azar
A Mauritanian child who suffered severe acute malnutrition recovers with intensive care and psychosocial assistance provided by the Kaedi In-patient Center with support from UNICEF.
Mauritania
In 2013, UNICEF and partners plan for:
122,719
children under 5 affected by acute malnutrition, treated
50,616
children under 5 suffering from diarrhoea, malaria, measles, and acute respiratory infection treated
80,000
refugees benefit from water, sanitation and hygiene services
2013 requirements (US$)
Humanitarian Situation
Mauritania is facing a double emergency with a deteriorating nutritional situation − overlapping with a major refugee influx from Mali − affecting children and community livelihood. The July 2012 SMART nutrition survey showed a rate of global acute malnutrition (GAM) of 12 per cent. The rate of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) also increased from 1.4 to 1.8 per cent. As a result of the nutrition crisis, a rapid assessment in 2012 in six regions showed a worsening socio-economic situation and growing risks. The crisis has impacted household cohesion: 30 per cent of families experienced the loss of family members, had their children drop out of school, and used negative coping mechanisms, such as early marriage and child labour. Up to 31,500 refugee children, aged 3 −17, are expected to go back to school or to be offered psychosocial support in child-friendly spaces and other developmental opportunities. Refugee adolescents remain vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and recruitment into armed groups. The nutrition crisis and the insufficient access to health services especially affect children under 5, and pregnant and lactating women who are the most vulnerable. In addition, epidemics threaten more than 65,000 children in regions affected by the nutritional crisis. Acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea and malaria remain the major health risks for children.
Planned results for 2013
2013 Programme Targets
Nutrition
- 122,719 children under 5 affected by acute malnutrition, including 23,901 cases of severe malnutrition treated
- 488 health facilities supported to scale the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition protocol
Health
- 50,616 (80 per cent of 63,270) children under 5 suffering from diarrhoea, malaria, measles, and acute respiratory infection treated
- 17,724 under one immunized against measles
WASH
- 12,000 host community members provided with safe water and hygiene promotion
- 80,000 refugees benefit from WASH activities per agreed standards
- 23,901 children under 5 affected by SAM receive the minimum WASH package and benefit from hygiene promotion activities
- 291 nutritional centres benefit from a minimum WASH package
Child Protection
- 6,000 malnourished children and 23,100 emergency-affected children at risk or survivors of violence, exploitation and abuse provided with psychosocial support through the establishment of 40 child-friendly spaces in nutrition centres
- 10 000 children at risk or victims of violence, exploitation, discrimination, abuse, and neglect are provided with prevention services and support
- 70 per cent of GBV survivors receive appropriate assistance according the national standard
Education
- 54,100 school-aged children, including preschool-aged and adolescents, access quality learning opportunities (including through temporary structures)
HIV and AIDS
- 280 HIV-positive pregnant women referred for therapy and supported to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and 65 children under 5 with SAM referred for treatment.
In nutrition and health, UNICEF will target children under 5 affected by acute malnutrition and pregnant and lactating women. The programme includes (i) the strengthening of health-service capacities through scaling-up the management of malnutrition, as well as community case management of common diseases; (ii)the provision of micronutrient supplementation; and (iii) the promotion of caring practices at family level. UNICEF will also provide blanket feeding with a minimum coverage of 80 per cent of targeted children. UNICEF will support the management of children affected by severe acute malnutrition within the health facilities while the World Food Programme will be working with communities on management of moderate acute malnutrition. UNICEF will reinforce immunization services, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and paediatric care. Additionally, HIV testing will be implemented in stabilization centres, where severely malnourished children with medical complications will be treated. The ‘WASH in Nutrition’ approach will cover nutrition centres and provide severely malnourished children with a minimum WASH package. UNICEF is also aiming to provide Malian refugees and host communities with a minimum WASH package as per Sphere standards.
In protection, the establishment of child-friendly spaces in nutrition centres will provide psychosocial support for malnourished children and their mothers. Prevention services will provide appropriate assistance to children at risk or sexual and gender-based violence survivors. UNICEF education interventions will support 54,100 affected children with access to quality learning opportunities, including through temporary learning infrastructures, with school supplies or training on nutrition, hygiene and parenting education. This includes 31,300 refugee children; 10,500 children affected by the nutrition crisis; and 12,300 children affected by floods.
In all sectors (nutrition, health, WASH, education and child protection), UNICEF, in collaboration with governments and other partners, will continue to support capacity building, coordination between stakeholders, communication, management of information systems and the documentation of humanitarian action at national and local levels.
Results from 2012
UNICEF launched an appeal of US$12,737,000 in 2012 in response to Malian refugee and nutrition crises. As of 31 October, a total of US$8,364,364, or 66 per cent of requirements, was received, which enabled UNICEF to achieve the following results.
For nutrition, 45,210 children between 6 and 24 months benefited from blanket feeding in four regions, and 2,769 children in the refugee camp in partnership with the Ministry of Health, WFP, UNHCR, and NGOs. From January to October 2012, 9,155
under-five children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (73 per cent of expected caseload) were admitted and treated in 291 health facilities. UNICEF supported the distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets to some 13,000 households, while 42,126 children were vaccinated against measles and Integrated Management of Children Illnesses implemented in the seven regions affected by the nutrition and refugees crises. In the refugee camp, some 12,118 under-five children were vaccinated against measles.
WASH in Nutrition interventions included the distribution of WASH kits to 8,100 mother-child pairs, and the provision of technical assistance to ensure access to WASH services for 8,946 refugee households. For cholera preparedness, WASH stockpiles have been supplied to 1,500 households and 20 cholera treatment centres. UNICEF also assisted the government in coordinating the response of the WASH sector.
Child protection working groups are in place at the national level and in six administrative regions (Nouakchott, Brakna, Assaba, Gorgol, Guidimakha and Hodh El Chargi) to coordinate the implementation of the child protection response capacity among local, regional, national and international actors. Two hundred and seventy professionals were trained to deliver psychosocial support to children and psychosocial activities were developed in 11 nutrition and health centres. Six child-friendly spaces and spaces for emotional stimulation are operational in the Mbera’s refugee camp and in three wilayas1 (Gorgol, Hodh El Chargi and Hodh El Gharbi), benefiting more than 3,900 children. Over 800 trained outreach workers, as members of community-based organizations linked with the child protection structures in place, assisted 8,873 children and youth at risk or affected by child protection issues. These included children affected by child labour, unregistered children, unaccompanied children, abandoned babies and victims of violence identified, in three wilayas, including Mbera’ refugee camp.
Education in the refugee camp enabled over 3,600 children, 1,745 of whom were girls, to enrol in four schools in the camp, with 47 teachers under temporary structures that were also equipped with latrines.
UNICEF Funding requirements for 2013
Building on the country inter-agency Consolidated Appeals Process and including additional requirements, UNICEF is requesting US$18,885,937 to meet the humanitarian needs of children in Mauritania in 2013. The lack of predictable funding will impact the well-being of children affected by the crises and UNICEF’s capacity to support the response. Major fundraising gaps will impede progress and limit the intervention capacities with major risks for children. The
1 Wilayas = administrative regions in Mauritania
2 These requirements are inclusive of the CAP 2013 and additional needs.