Highlights

• UNICEF is responding to a double emergency in Mauritania where a nutrition crisis is affecting 700,000 food insecure people, and over 64,000 refugees have arrived from Mali.
• As a result of the nutritional crisis affecting much of the south, by December 2011, 35,000 children were already suffering global acute malnutrition (GAM), more than 5,000 of those suffering severe acute malnutrition (SAM). It is estimated that as many as 90,000 children could suffer GAM in 2012, including 12,600 SAM.
• The area of Mauritania hosting the refugees is difficult for humanitarian workers to access due to long distances, the lack of sealed roads and security concerns. The communities that are hosting the refugees are also affected by the nutrition crisis.
• UNICEF is working with the Government of Mauritania, NGOs and UN agencies to respond to the needs of refugee children and women by providing nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health services, education and child protection in the M’Bera camp and for the host communities.
• While much has been achieved, UNICEF and the humanitarian community needs to massively scale up interventions. More resources and partners needed to meet the needs.
• A Consolidated Appeal (CAP) for Mauritania has been published on 16 May.