ReliefWeb

Total people in need: 217,000
Total children (<18) in need: 143,187
Total people to be reached: 177,602
Total children to be reached: 128,731

Mauritania is experiencing a malnutrition crisis that has been aggravated by droughts and floods. More than 217,000 people will require humanitarian assistance in 2018, including 143,000 children. In these areas, access to drinking water and sanitation is below the national average at 62 per cent, and an estimated 86,000 persons are in need of safe drinking water. The latest data available on the nutrition situation shows that 21 departments in eight regions are above the World Health Organization (WHO) threshold of a critical nutrition situation, with global acute malnutrition above 15 per cent and/or severe acute malnutrition (SAM) above 2 per cent. In 2018, 165,000 children and pregnant and lactating women will require nutritional care and treatment, and an estimated 32,000 children under 5 years will require treatment for SAM. This represents a 70 per cent increase compared with the average annual caseload over the past five years. Given the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel, 52,000 Malian refugees, more than half of whom are children, will require access to basic services, including access to potable water for drinking, cooking and hygiene, as well as education and protection support.

Humanitarian strategy

Given the nutrition situation in Mauritania, UNICEF will support quality, life-saving integrated management of ac ute malnutrition services at scale. This will include the provision of ready-to-use therapeutic foods and other medical supplies and equipment associated with SAM management, as well as access to potable water for drinking, cooking and hygiene. The UNICEF nutrition response will also focus on strengthening monitoring and information management systems, as well as multisectoral coordination mechanisms for heath, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and food security. The WASH component, which includes access to water for drinking, cooking and hygiene and training and awareness-raising sessions, will cover areas affected by the nutrition crisis and areas hosting refugees. In response to the Malian refugee crisis, UNICEF will work with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Affairs and non-governmental organization partners to strengthen national child protection systems and community-based child protection mechanisms. UNICEF will also provide an immediate protection response and emergency education support to vulnerable boys and girls, including psychosocial support, recreational activities, family tracing and reunification, and support for children formerly associated with armed groups. UNICEF educational support will target 5,500 Malian refugee children.