Over 100,000 mothers receive combined health and water services

“I came here for my sick child and got help. I received free treatment for my children and a hygiene kit,” says Deqa Abdullahi. Thanks to the support of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), along with other partners, Deqa Abdullahi and her children in the Kabasa camp for internally displaced people (IDP) in Dollow, Somalia are receiving life-saving health and hygiene support. She just took her 12-month-old daughter, Ruweida, for an assessment at the Kabasa Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP). According to Deqa, Ruweida was losing weight and sleeping all the time, with no appetite. Ruweida was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and given ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), a nutritious peanut paste that treats severe wasting in children under 5 years old.

In Somalia, around half of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance, with 4.3 million of them being children. The food and nutrition situation remains dire in the pockets of Somalia as drought and floods have negatively affected the food and nutrition situation over years of climate change. To compound the hardship, poor access and limited availability of clean water and sanitation facilities result in poor hygiene practices, hindering a healthier environment for children. 

To improve the health of families like Deqa’s and increase access to quality nutrition and WASH services, the King Salman Humanitarian and Relief Centre (KSrelief), the UK Government and UNICEF have joined hands with the Government of Somalia to support 15 high-risk districts across 6 regions in the country. This involves procuring over 52,000 cartons of RUTF and distributing over 48,000 hygiene kits to caregivers whose children under five years old are being treated for malnutrition in health and nutrition clinics. Each kit has water treatment tablets, a water jug, and bars of soap to help maintain proper hygiene at home.

Deqa not only received treatment for her daughter but also had a session on hygiene and health. This awareness session will help prevent water-borne diseases and diarrhoea – which are leading causes of malnutrition in Somalia. Furthermore, this programme has supported the production of WASH information, education, and communication (IEC) printing materials and distributing them along with the hygiene kits to caregivers as they leave the clinics with their children.

As Deqa continued her good hygiene practices at home, she said, “Now, my children are not sick as much.” She knows there is more to washing the dishes well. She washes her hands and Ruweida’s before having food. When Deqa breastfeeds, she ensures everything is cleaned on her and her child before and after.

UNICEF continues to deliver nutrition services nationwide. Through this programme supported by KSrelief, 1,200,555 children have been screened for malnutrition, and 91,010 children have been admitted for SAM treatment in nine months. Integrating WASH, Nutrition and Health interventions through Nutrition Facilities is imperative and has proven to result in better health outcomes in families, especially for children. Integrating services saves money, time and resources for the family… so let’s invest more in similar joint programmes and take it forward to reach more vulnerable children and communities. With continued support from partners like KSrelief, we can expand these life-saving services to reach even more vulnerable children and families.