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Ethiopia + 1 more

UNHCR Ethiopia: Nutrition Factsheet (September 2018)

Attachments

  • 13,745 children under the age of five were admitted in supplementary (9,368) and therapeutic (4,377) feeding and treated for acute malnutrition with a recovery rate of 87.8% and 90.0% for severe and moderate cases respectively

  • The average weight gain for severely malnourished children is 6.7 grammes per kilogram per day (g/kg/d)

  • Prevalence of global acute malnutrition in 13 out of 18 camps surveyed to date (72.2%) is below the WHO emergency threshold of 15%

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Annual standardized nutrition surveys have been completed in refugee camps under the Melkadida, Gambella, Afar and Shire offices in 2018 and remain to be completed in camps near Assosa and Jijiga.

  • The prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) is below the emergency threshold of 15% in 72.2% (13 of 18 refugee camps surveyed). Prevalence of Anaemia for children aged 6-59 months is below the emergency threshold (<40%) in 55.6% (10 of 18 refugee camps surveyed), and prevalence of anaemia for reproductive women age group (15-49 years) in 94.4% (17 of 18 refugee camps surveyed) is below the emergency threshold (<40%).

  • Challenges in addressing malnutrition remain with a need to strengthen preventive programmes through a multi-sectoral approach to support childcare. Improvements in the Melkadida camps in 2018 are partially attributed to the elevated cut off Middle Upper Arm Circumferences (MUAC) for community referrals to the facility for further weight-for-height screening. UNHCR started to roll-out the UNHCR infant and young child feeding framework to enhance engagement of other nutritionsensitive sectors.

  • All children aged 6 to 23 months in all camps continued to receive complementary food which is super cereal plus in order to complement the breast feeding and general food ration with high energy and nutrient dense foods appropriate for optimal growth and development.

  • In Afar, where the GAM prevalence remains mostly above the emergency threshold of 15%, the blanket feeding programme is extended to children up to 59 months-old.

  • Since December 2016, all children aged 3 to 5 years in the Melkadida camps were transferred from the blanket nutrition programme (take home dry ration) to the pre-primary schools (wet feeding) to improve uptake of the nutritious products.

  • In June 2018, WFP announced that the general food ration for July to December 2018 would be increased to provide 2,050 Kcal per person per day in all camps.