Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations - Mauritania
NICS 16, March 2008
Rising cereal prices are expected to have a negative impact on overall food
security in the country, which relies heavily on international imports to
fulfill domestic cereal demand (FEWS, 04/02/08). Higher prices for such
commodities as rice and wheat are already pushing them out of reach for poorer
families. Despite the late start and premature finish of rains in 2007, which
precipitated a prolonged lean season, widespread access to government and
partner programs helped alleviate a food crisis (ACH-S, 09/07).
ACH-S conducted a nutrition survey in the southern regions of Gorgol and
Guidimakha in September 2007. Although severe malnutrition and retrospective
mortality rates were within acceptable ranges, the prevalence of acute
malnutrition was above emergency levels at 15.1% (ACH-S, 09/07) (table 4).
Nearly half (45.1%) of all U5 deaths occurred in the days just after birth and
for unknown reasons. Questions about feeding practices revealed that 46.0% of
newborns receive other liquids (i.e. holy water, sugar water, other milk) before
breastfeeding is initiated and that 82.5% of children in the survey consumed
three or more meals per day.
Table 4 Results of a nutrition and mortality survey, Mauritania, September
2007 (ACH-S, 09/07)
RNIS 22, December 1997
Approximately 150,000 people fled Mali in the 1990s due to a
combination of famine and unrest in Mali. Many of these people took refuge in
Burkina Faso and Mauritania. Organised repatriation for those in Burkina Faso was recently
completed. Some refugees, however, remain and will be dealt with on a
case-by-case basis. Refugees in Mauritania began to return home in June 1995,
and repatriation was completed in June 1997 [IRIN-WA 09/12/97, UNHCR 14/05/97,
WFP 14/10/97]. There are concerns about the situation to which the refugees
are returning in Mali. Refugees are returning to hundreds of sites in large
areas of desert where access is difficult. Most of these areas are waterless,
without serving roads and lack industry or commerce to provide employment for
returnees. Food is reportedly a problem, and there are anecdotal reports of
cases of malnutrition. Most of the returnees have only very small amounts of
food reserves. Their attempts at agriculture are failing in some areas due to
lack of rains or irrigation, and their livestock herds, decimated by drought and
years of conflict, are not numerous enough to provide them with the meat and
milk that were formerly the staples of their diet. The food situation of the
returned refugees may become worse in the months to come. There are also serious
problems with water supply in refugee returnee sites. Many sites do not have
wells so inhabitants have to walk for several hours to the nearest water source.
There are inadequate personnel and resources available to deal with these
serious problems [RI 07/10/97]. Ongoing interventions: More resources are needed
for programmes in refugee returnee areas. Only $6 million of the $17 million
originally budgeted for this programme are currently available. Areas of refugee
return lack adequate water supplies, schools, and health facilities. Quick
impact projects and food for work programmes need to be funded and established
in these areas. There is also a need to support government efforts to provide
education and health care for these returnees. Provision of traditional
medicines as included in the official Malian pharmacopoeia would be a first step
in health care.
RNIS 21, September 1997
Approximately 150,000 people fled Mali in the 1990s due to
famine and unrest in Mali. There remain 18,000 Malian refugees in Burkina Faso,
and 22,500 in Mauritania. Repatriation is ongoing [UNHCR 25/09/97, May 97, WFP
01/04797]. There are no new reports on the nutritional situation of these
refugees. Earlier reports reflected an adequate and stable nutritional situation
in Burkina Faso, while in Mauritania, levels of wasting were over 14% in March
1996 (see RNIS #15).
RNIS 20, June 1997
Burkina Faso There are approximately 24,000 Malian
refugees remaining in Burkina Faso [UNHCR 26/05/97]. There are no reports of
change to what has been described as an adequate and stable nutritional status
of this population. Mauritania There remain approximately 22,500 Malian
refugees in Mauritania, comprised largely of women and children, the men having
already repatriated. This population is considered to be almost totally
dependent on food aid, and the ration is set at 1900 kcals/person/day.
Repatriation, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 1997, is
on-going, with approximately 1,000 people returning each month [WFP
01/04/97].
RNIS 19, March 1997
Burkina Faso There are approximately 25,000 Malian
refugees remaining in Burkina Faso [WFP 10/02/97]. There are no reports of
change to what has been described as an adequate and stable nutritional status
of this population. Mauritania There remain approximately 25,000 Malian
refugees in M'Berra camp in Mauritania, comprised largely of women and children,
the men having already repatriated. This population is considered to be almost
totally dependent on food aid, and the ration is set at 1900 kcals/person/day.
Only a limited number of people have access to income either through casual
employment or through income generating activities supported by agencies. The
recent transfer of refugees from Bassiknou to M'Berra has doubled the refugee
population in M'Berra and pressure on basic assets such as water, sanitation,
gardening land, class rooms, tools and expertise for income generating
activities has consequently increased. However it is expected that this pressure
will gradually be reduced as repatriation proceeds. Repatriation, which is
scheduled to be completed by the end of 1997, is on-going, with approximately
1,000 people returning each month [WFP 02/02/97].
RNIS 18, December 1996
There remain approximately 25,000 Malian refugees in
Burkina Faso. The decrease in numbers from the previous RNIS report is
due to repatriation. There are no reports of change to the adequate and stable
nutritional situation of this refugee population.
Repatriation of Malian refugees has resumed from
Mauritania, and it is currently estimated that there remain 28,000
refugees in one camp. Numbers are declining as the repatriation process
continues; approximately 3,000 people repatriated in October 1996, bringing the
total number of returnees since June 1996 to over 17,000. It is expected that
the repatriation process will be completed my mid-1997 [UNHCR
22/11/96]. Overall, these refugees are not currently considered to
be at heightened nutritional risk (category IIc in Table 1).
RNIS 17, September 1996
There are no reports of change to the nutritional status of
the approximately 57,500 assisted Malian refugees in Burkina Faso and
Mauritania. Those in Burkina Faso (estimated at 27,000) were said to be in
adequate nutritional state, while those in Mauritania (estimated at 30,500) had
high levels of wasting (see RNIS #15) Overall, the refugees in Burkina Faso are not currently
considered to be at heightened nutritional risk (category IIc in Table 1). The
Malian refugees in Mauritania can be considered to be at moderate nutritional
risk (category IIb in Table 1). How could external agencies help? An appeal was
launched to fund a repatriation project for Malian Tuareg refugees at present in
Algeria, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mauritania, but has so far met with limited
response. Support is especially needed for programmes which help refugees
re-assimilate into their communes of origin, e.g. food-for-work schemes. Many of
these programmes may also need to extend support to local populations. There was a final food distribution to the approximately
52,000 Mauritanian refugees in Senegal in December 1995. This population is now
considered to be self-sufficient and will no longer receive assistance. These
refugees are longer included in Table 1.
RNIS 16, June 1996
There are approximately 57,500 assisted Malian refugees in
Burkina Faso and Mauritania. Burkina Faso This group of refugees are continuing to
spontaneously repatriate and it is currently estimated that 27,000 refugees
remain in the country. Mauritania There are 30,500 Malian refugees remaining
in Mauritania. Both spontaneous and organised repatriation of this population
had been taking place, but has been put on hold during the hot then rainy
seasons. This process is planned to restart in September with 16,000 people
reportedly registered to repatriate [UNHCR 04/06/96]. Most recent nutritional data on this population (reported in
RNIS #15) showed a worrying situation with 14.6% wasting and/or oedema being
recorded. Since this survey, the general ration has been maintained at close to
2,000 kcals/person/day. Furthermore, the number of admissions to selective
feeding programme centres remained stable during the month of April, although
there are high default rates (68% at supplementary feeding centres) which are
felt to partly reflect poor understanding on the part of carers of the need for
regular attendance and surveillance [MDM 21/05/96]. Overall, the refugees in Burkina Faso are not currently
considered to be at heightened nutritional risk (category IIc in Table 1). The
Malian refugees in Mauritania can be considered to be at moderate nutritional
risk (category IIb in Table 1). How could external agencies help? Pull general
ration provision (noted as a priority in the April RNIS), has been maintained in
recent weeks. However, there are high rates of default in selective feeding
programmes.
RNIS 15, April 1996
There are approximately 60,000 assisted Malian refugees in
Burkina Faso and Mauritania. This decrease in the total refugee population is
due to repatriation. Burkina Faso Some spontaneous repatriation is taking
place among the Malian refugees in Burkina Faso and it is currently estimated
that there are 27,000 refugees remaining. There is no reported change to the
adequate nutritional status of this population [UNHCR 12/02/96]. Mauritania There remain approximately 33,000 Malian
refugees in two camps in Mauritania. The decrease in number from the last RNIS
report is due to a combination of spontaneous and organised repatriation [UNHCR
13/01/96, 27/03/96]. A recent survey conducted in the two camps between February
and March 1996 showed an unstable nutritional situation. Wasting was measured at
14.6% and severe wasting was 1.4%. Oedema was measured separately at 1.6% (see
Annex I (3a)). These results show no statistical difference to those obtained
during the previous survey in May 1995. The crude mortality rate was
0.93/10,000/day (3 × normal) and the under-five mortality rate was
2.3/10,000/day (2 × normal). It is, however, possible that these rates are
an under-estimate due to the observed reluctance to disclose information on
mortality amongst this population. The most common cause of death was diarrhoea
[MSF-F/MDM 12/03/96]. These nutritional problems are felt to be largely attributable
to two main causes. First, the ration had been irregular and lacking in some
commodities, such as pulses. More recently, however, food distributions were at
1950 kcals/person/day. Furthermore, many families with livestock which provided
both milk and meat have returned to Mali, leaving remaining refugees largely
without these food sources. Secondly, high levels of diarrhoea are probably also
having an impact on wasting levels. Only a small percentage of families had
access to parcels of land for crop production [MSF-F 04/04/96]. Overall, the refugees in Burkina Faso are not currently
considered to be at heightened nutritional risk (category IIc in Table 1). In
the two camps for Malian refugees in Mauritania high levels of wasting continue
to be reported. These refugees can therefore be considered to be at high
nutritional risk with elevated levels of wasting (category I in Table
1). How can external agencies help? Continued high
levels of wasting need to be investigated with a view to identifying and
rectifying primary causes. In order to begin addressing the problem, the regular
provision of a full general ration needs to be ensured and an assessment made of
whether coverage of selective feeding programmes are adequate. Furthermore, the
causes of high levels of diarrhoea should be ascertained, and appropriate action
taken in the water and sanitation sectors.
RNIS 14, February 1996
There are approximately 68,000 assisted Touareg refugees in
Burkina Faso and Mauritania. Burkina Faso There are no reports of change to the
generally adequate nutritional situation of the approximately 33,000 Touareg
refugees form Mali and Niger. Mauritania There remain approximately 35,000 Touareg
refugees in Mauritania. A pilot repatriation project has begun, although some
spontaneous repatriation is already occurring. As a result, one of the camps
(Aghor) has been closed [UNHCR 02/02/96]. It has recently been reported that the number of admissions to
selective feeding programme centres has increased dramatically. While a seasonal
increase in the number of cases of diarrhoea will be adversely affecting the
nutritional status of this population, incomplete ration allocations and the low
quality of some of the commodities, e.g. millet, in the food basket have been
identified as contributory factors. More recently, local purchases of some food
commodities have been made to improve the general ration [MDM 14/01/96, UNHCR
02/02/96]. Overall, the refugees in Burkina Faso are probably not
currently at heightened nutritional risk (category IIc in Table 1) while those
in Mauritania can be considered to be at moderate nutritional risk (category IIb
in Table 1) due to periodic incomplete rations and the high incidence of
diarrhoea.
RNIS 13, December 1995
There are approximately 68,000 assisted Touareg refugees in
Burkina Faso and Mauritania. Numbers have declined recently with the spontaneous
repatriation of approximately 5,000 refugees from Mauritania. Burkina Faso There is no change reported in the
generally adequate nutritional situation of approximately 33,000 Touareg
refugees from Mali and Niger. Mauritania There are approximately 35,000 Touareg
refugees from Mali in Mauritania. The recent spontaneous repatriation of 5,000
refugees will allow for the closure of one of the three camps. Organised
repatriation is now being planned, and it is hoped that a pilot repatriation of
about 150 people will take place before the end of 1995. Large scale
repatriation will hopefully be completed in 1996 [UNHCR 21/11/95]. There has been no update on the nutritional condition of this
population since a survey conducted over five months ago found levels of wasting
in excess of 17% and crude mortality rates of 6 times normal. This situation was
largely attributed to poor general ration supplies and high rates of diarrhoea.
However, as an improved general ration of 1900 kcals/person/day has been
delivered for at least the three previous months, it can probably be inferred
that the nutritional condition of this population has improved [UNHCR
21/11/95]. Overall, the Touareg refugees in Burkina Faso and
Mauritania are probably not at heightened nutritional risk (category IIc in
Table 1). | 
United Nations System 