Highlights

• Mauritania faces an unprecedented double emergency as refugees fleeing conflict in Mali cross into areas of southeastern Mauritania where there is a food and nutrition crisis

• Since 25 January 2012, over 33,000 refugees have fled from Mali into south-eastern Mauritania with around 800 new arrivals each day. The communities that are hosting the refugees are already facing severe food insecurity and vulnerability. It is a very difficult region for humanitarian workers to reach due to a combination of long distances, difficult terrain and security concerns

• UNICEF is working with its partners to respond to the needs of children and women by providing nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health services, education and child protection in the camps and the host communities

• 35,000 children are suffering global acute malnutrition (GAM), more than 5,000 of those have severe acute malnutrition (SAM). It is estimated that almost 90,000 could suffer GAM in 2012, including 12,600 cases of SAM

• WFP has found that 25% of rural households are food insecure (moderate or severe) and the situation is not expected to improve until September 2012 at the earliest

• UNICEF and its partners are supporting the Government of Mauritania in providing early interventions to mitigate the impact of the food and nutrition crisis. UNICEF is identifying and treating malnourished children and is improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene

• Requested funding is $3.2 million for the Food and Nutrition Crisis (28% funded) and $2.65 million for Malian Refugees Response in Mauritania (11% funded). Requirements are expected to increase as the situation continues to develop