Philippines Legacy PH (2024)

24/05/2023

UNICEF is calling for US$ 87.7 million to address the urgent needs of 3.3 million children

Lilongwe, 19 May 2023 At least 573,000 children under five are at risk of suffering from malnutrition in Malawi, UNICEF warns. Despite recent progress in reducing chronic malnutrition, acute food insecurity—compounded by recurrent climate shocks, preventable disease outbreaks, economic instability, and chronic underfunding in the social sectors — threatens to reverse past gains.

Malawi is still grappling with the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Freddy in March, with 659,000 people currently internally displaced, including many children. Meanwhile, an ongoing cholera outbreak in the country has already claimed 1,759 lives.

“Children in Malawi are at the sharp end of the global polycrisis. Food insecurity, exasperated by a growing climate crisis, disease outbreaks, and the global economic downturn, is threatening to wreak havoc and disrupt the lives of millions of children,” said UNICEF Country Representative Gianfranco Rotigliano. “The prospect of having over half a million children suffering from malnutrition is unacceptable. Without an immediate response, the impact on these vulnerable children will be deadly.”

A new Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal, launched by UNICEF today, shows an increase in malnutrition cases among children in Malawi over the last five years, with the challenge accelerating significantly in recent months. In 2023 alone, it is estimated that over 62,000 children, aged between 6 to 59 months, are at risk of severe acute malnutrition (SAM), often called wasting.

To respond to the urgent needs of 6.5 million people, including 3.3 million children, UNICEF has increased its appeal for Malawi from US$52.4 to US$87.7 million. This funding will be used to meet priority needs, such as ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) for treating severe acute malnutrition, access to safe drinking water, sanitation, hygiene items, health, nutrition, education, child protection services, and cash transfer schemes.

In the first quarter of 2023, with the support of donors and partners, UNICEF assisted the Government of Malawi in screening 140,307 children under the age of five for acute malnutrition. Among them, 522 children were identified as having SAM and were referred to health facilities for further care.

“Without increased support, poor and vulnerable households with children will be left without access to basic services, essential supplies, and social assistance,” said Rotigliano. “But beyond the immediate response, it is crucial that we invest in long-term solutions by strengthening systems and building resilience within communities to handle recurring outbreaks and humanitarian emergencies better.”

Note to Editors:

Malawi Appeal | Humanitarian Action for Children: https://www.unicef.org/appeals/malawi

In the first quarter of 2023, thanks to the support of donors and partners, UNICEF supported the Government of Malawi to achieve the following:

Reached over 1.2 million people with a sufficient quantity and quality of water for drinking and domestic needs, over 3 million with critical water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies, and over 200,000 with appropriate sanitation services.

Supported over 19,000 children and adults in accessing treatment at cholera treatment centres.

Trained more than 11,000 healthcare and community workers in infection prevention and control, as well as case management of cholera.

Provided cash transfers to 20,921 households in Blantyre and Zomba, two key affected districts.

Trained 243 teachers on cholera prevention and management in 92 schools, benefiting 167,379 young learners.

More than half a million children at risk of malnutrition in Malawi

Source: Philippines Legacy PH

UNICEF is calling for US$ 87.7 million to address the urgent needs of 3.3 million children Lilongwe, 19 May 2023 At least 573,000 childr...

24/05/2023

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Yangon, 19 May, 2023 – Homes ripped apart, power poles blocking roads, and bridges completely washed away are the scenes of destruction caused by Cyclone Mocha, according to Save the Children.

Humanitarian organisations and local communities are working around the clock on clean up and recovery efforts. Still, there are real risks that survivors may face secondary disasters, including waterborne diseases; and damage to food supplies has put thousands at risk of hunger.

Maung Thein*, a resident of a displaced camp near the coastal area of Rakhine State, said:

“A strong wind started to crack our roofs. Rain was pouring in from above. I heard voices shouting from far away through the roaring wind. We all were soaking wet.”

The cyclone subsided by 10 pm, but Maung Thein’s* home was already destroyed by then.

“With the tarpaulin sheets I kept before the storm, I built a temporary shelter where my whole family is staying now. I have one bag of rice left. No idea after it is all gone. Now, we share food as some households have nothing but only clothes they have on their bodies. The price of basic commodities has become very high at 1,000 kyats (0.5 USD) per egg which used to cost 200 kyats (0.1 USD). However, even with enough money, we can’t purchase as much as we want, including medicines. No markets or shops are running at this moment.”

All 17 townships in Rakhine state have been declared emergency areas. Meanwhile, in Pauk Taw township and in the northwestern township of Magway, water and sanitation access sustained extensive damage.

Hundreds of latrines and wells are either damaged or destroyed, severely compromising both townships’ access to safe drinking water and hygiene practices.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports an urgent need for fuel for essential public services, including health and water treatment. Public infrastructure, including health clinics, food distribution centres and schools, are also damaged or destroyed, mainly caused by heavy rains and strong winds, which reached 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph) at the height of the storm.

Casualties continue to be reported, though the exact numbers still have not been verified, as communications remain limited across the affected areas.

Hassan Noor, Asia Regional Director at Save the Children, said:

“This is one of the most powerful cyclones to hit Myanmar in decades, and the situation for children is likely to be chaotic and stressful. In addition to shelter, clean water, and food assistance, it is imperative we support children’s health and wellbeing as part of our humanitarian response.”

“Currently, many roads are still inaccessible, but it is becoming clear that an enormous amount of support will be required in the coming days, and we must act quickly to limit the devastating impact caused to millions of families.”

Save the Children and partners in Myanmar are delivering life-saving supplies, including food, clean water, health services, hygiene, and education kits as well as providing psychosocial support to children.

ENDS

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Cyclone Mocha leaves a trail of destruction, misery and death in Myanmar

Source: Philippines Legacy PH

More content available for use here Yangon, 19 May, 2023 – Homes ripped apart, power poles blocking roads, and bridges completely washed...

23/05/2023

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UN expert exposes $1 billion “death trade” to Myanmar military

NEW YORK / GENEVA (17 May 2023) – The Myanmar military has imported at least $1 billion USD in arms and raw materials to manufacture weapons since the coup in February 2021, according to a new report today by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews.

UN Member States are enabling this trade either through outright complicity, lax enforcement of existing bans, and easily circumvented sanctions, according to the report.

“Despite overwhelming evidence of the Myanmar military’s atrocity crimes against the people of Myanmar, the generals continue to have access to advanced weapons systems, spare parts for fighter jets, raw materials and manufacturing equipment for domestic weapons production,” Andrews said. “Those providing these weapons are able to avoid sanctions by using front companies and creating new ones while counting on lax enforcement.

“The good news is that we now know who is supplying these arms and the jurisdictions in which they operate. Member States now need to step up and stop the flow of these arms,” the expert said.

While calling for a complete ban on the sale or transfer of weapons to the Myanmar military, Andrews pleaded for Member States to enforce existing bans while coordinating sanctions on arms dealers and foreign currency sources.

The Special Rapporteur’s paper, “The Billion Dollar Death Trade: International Arms Networks that Enable Human Rights Violations in Myanmar” is the most detailed study on post-coup arms transfers to the military to date. Accompanied by a detailed infographic, it identifies the major networks and companies involved in these transactions, known values of the transfers, and jurisdictions in which the networks operate, namely Russia, China, Singapore, Thailand, and India.

“Russia and China continue to be the main suppliers of advanced weapons systems to the Myanmar military, accounting for over $400 million and $260 million respectively since the coup, with much of the trade originating from state-owned entities. However, arms dealers operating out of Singapore are critical to the continued operation of the Myanmar military’s deadly weapons factories (commonly referred to as KaPaSa),” Andrews said.

The report reveals that $254 million USD of supplies have been shipped from dozens of entities in Singapore to the Myanmar military from February 2021 to December 2022. Singaporean banks have been used extensively by arms dealers.

Andrews recalled that the Government of Singapore has stated that its policy is to, “prohibit the transfer of arms to Myanmar” and that it has decided “not to authorise the transfer of dual-use items which have been assessed to have potential military application to Myanmar.”

“I implore leaders of Singapore to seize the information within this report and enforce its policies to the maximum extent possible,” the Special Rapporteur said.

“If the Singapore Government were to stop all shipments and facilitation of arms and associated materials to the Myanmar military from its jurisdiction, the impact on the junta’s ability to commit war crimes would be significantly disrupted,” he said.

The report also documents $28 million USD in arms transfers from Thai-based entities to the Myanmar military since the coup. India-based entities have supplied $51 million worth of arms and related materials to the military since February 2021.

The report examines why international sanctions on arms dealing networks have failed to stop or slow the flow of weapons to the Myanmar military.

“The Myanmar military and its arms dealers have figured out how to game the system. That’s because sanctions are not being adequately enforced and because arms dealers linked to the junta have been able to create shell companies to avoid them.

The expert said the ad hoc, uncoordinated nature of current sanctions were allowing payments to be made in other currencies and jurisdictions.

“By expanding and retooling sanctions and eliminating loopholes, governments can disrupt junta-linked weapons dealers,” Andrews said.

The report also focuses on the main sources of foreign currency that have enabled the Myanmar junta to purchase over $1 billion in arms since the coup. “Member States have not adequately targeted key sources of foreign currency that the junta relies on to purchase arms, including most significantly Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise,” Andrews said.

Andrews highlighted that no Member State has imposed sanctions on Myanma Foreign Trade Bank (MFTB) since the coup. “My findings demonstrate that MFTB is not only important for receiving foreign currency but is also being used extensively by the junta to purchase arms. It should be a prime target for international sanctions,” the expert said.

ENDS

Mr. Thomas Andrews (United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Comprising the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special Procedures is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

UN Human Rights, country page – Myanmar

For more information and media requests, please contact: In Uruguay (during the visit): Ms. Nouf Al Anezi (+41 79 444 4702 / [email protected]). In Geneva: Ms. Antara Singh (+41 22 917 9328/ [email protected]) and write to [email protected].

For media enquiries regarding other UN independent experts, please contact Maya Derouaz ([email protected]) and Dharisha Indraguptha ([email protected]).

UN expert exposes $1 billion “death trade” to Myanmar military

Source: Philippines Legacy PH

Attachments UN expert exposes $1 billion “death trade” to Myanmar military NEW YORK / GENEVA (17 May 2023) – The Myanmar military has ...

23/05/2023

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have treated over 200 patients for trauma injuries, including wounds from gunshots and explosions.

It is vital that more supplies and medical staff reach areas in greatest need to ensure people have access to lifesaving medical care.

KHARTOUM/BRUSSELS – A Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) team working alongside Sudanese staff and volunteers has treated 240 trauma patients in just over a week, in a hospital in south Khartoum. Many victims suffered gunshot wounds or injuries resulting from explosions, consistent with ongoing airstrikes and shelling in the built-up areas of the capital.

Since intense fighting broke out in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on 15 April 2023, and spread rapidly to other parts of the country, hospitals and health facilities have struggled to keep operating. Some have been badly damaged. Others are facing staff shortages after people fled or they struggle to move around the city. The Bashair Teaching Hospital in south Khartoum was forced to close completely for some time.

“Doctors and nurses, but also young people from the community, made a decision to try to restart this hospital after it closed and staff had fled for their own safety,” says Will Harper, MSF emergency coordinator in Sudan.

“When our surgical team reached south Khartoum, we found people working as hard as they could and taking risks. We’ve joined them, hand-in-hand, to try to bring healthcare and lifesaving surgical care to the people in this area,” says Harper.

“When we arrived, the situation was chaotic,” says Hisham Eid, an MSF doctor in Sudan. “The hospital was not operational. A few doctors and volunteers were doing their best to attend to the large number of patients, despite the shortage of all forms of supplies, including electricity. It is getting better now and we are able to attend to many patients efficiently,” says Eid.

Since the our teams started working in the hospital on 9 May, more than 240 surgical procedures have been performed, among them around four major procedures a day. Complex and critical cases make up a significant proportion.

“We have seen multiple patients with gunshot wounds and stab wounds in a highly critical state, and who would not have survived without surgery,” says Shahzid Majeed, MSF surgeon. “These injuries were to the chest, to the abdomen, to the liver, to the spleen, to the kidney, to the intestine. We’ve also performed vascular reconstructive surgery here, without which the patient would have died or lost a limb.”

Making sure that the surgical team and other medical professionals have the right supplies to keep providing lifesaving medical care is difficult. MSF and other organisations have been donating medical supplies to hospitals in Khartoum and other areas from stocks already in the country. But delays in getting supplies into Sudan and to the areas where they are most needed create serious challenges. Fuel to run generators is a major concern, as electricity supply is intermittent at best.

“We’ve been able to increase the quality of care and we’ve already been able to build some capacity within the volunteers and the staff here,” says Harper. “We’ve done multiple major surgical interventions for injuries caused by the violence.

“Increasing post-operative care and infection control are a challenge in any hospital, but they’re especially a challenge when we have limits on water, electricity and medical supplies,” he says.

With no end in sight to the conflict, more supplies and more medical staff need to reach the areas in greatest need, to ensure that people have access to lifesaving medical care.

Surgical activities are one of several projects MSF teams are currently running in Khartoum, North Darfur, West Darfur, Central Darfur, Al-Jazeera, Blue Nile, Al-Gedaref states. Our activities include running and supporting hospitals and clinics, running mobile clinics, providing essential items, as well as doing water and sanitation activities. MSF is committed to remaining in Sudan to provide medical and humanitarian assistance to people affected by this crisis.

Sudan: Hundreds of trauma patients arrive at Khartoum hospital

Source: Philippines Legacy PH

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have treated over 200 patients for trauma injuries, including wounds from gunshots and explosions. ...

21/05/2023

Attachments

(Geneva, 17 May 2023) – With the conflict in Sudan entering its second month, the United Nations and its partners today called for US$3 billion to help millions of people in the country and hundreds of thousands fleeing to neighbouring countries.

As the death toll mounts, humanitarian needs soar, and displacement grows, the UN is launching two response plans to provide food, health care, shelter, protection and other critical assistance.

The Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan has been revised due to the soaring needs spurred by the current crisis. It now requires $2.56 billion, an increase of $800 million from just a few months ago, to help 18 million people until the end of this year, making it the largest appeal ever issued for Sudan.

The Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan, seeks $470.4 million to support refugees, returnees and host communities in the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The funds are intended to help over 1 million people, including refugees, returnees and third country nationals.

“This conflict is a cruel blow for the people of Sudan, already staggering under the weight of a desperate humanitarian situation. The desire, willingness and impatience of humanitarian agencies to deliver remains as strong as ever,” said Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths. “The signing of the Declaration of Commitment was a welcome first step towards protecting civilians and delivering aid safely. But now we need the generosity of the international community to scale up our response and reach all those in need.”

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said: “More than a month into this crisis, countless people remain terrified inside Sudan, and those who have fled across the country’s many borders are in need of help, often finding themselves in places where access is extremely hard and resources strained. Humanitarians are working hard to respond but we need – once again – to call on countries and individuals with the means, to step up and provide the resources so we can help people who have lost everything.” The most recent fighting has already displaced more than 840,000 people inside Sudan.

Over 220,000 refugees and refugee returnees have fled the country, with many Sudanese escaping to Chad and Egypt, and South Sudanese refugees returning home in adverse conditions. Without an urgent resolution, many more will be forced to flee in search of safety and basic assistance.

The revised Humanitarian Response Plan will focus on swiftly ramping up food and water and sanitation and other lifesaving assistance. It will also increase its focus on protection, including the protection of children and the prevention of gender-based violence.

The Plan, bringing together 92 partners, envisions the expansion of operations in areas where fighting is fierce, such as the capital, Khartoum, as well as locations to which many people have fled to escape violence, including West, South and North Darfur.

Implementing the scale-up will require humanitarian agencies to have safe access to reach those in need.

The Refugee Response Plan will help host countries to coordinate the response with a “whole-of-society” approach in support of host governments and communities. It outlines the multisector strategy and financial requirements of 140 partners to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to those who have been forced to flee across borders.

The most urgent immediate needs include water and sanitation, food, shelter, health, cash assistance and core relief items. Particularly in South Sudan and the Central African Republic, movement away from the border areas is a major logistical and financial challenge. In many of the hosting the rainy season is approaching For protection assistance, a priority is to support local authorities with registration and identify those at heightened risks for specific aid. Most new arrivals are women and children, a number of whom are unaccompanied or separated. Efforts to mitigate and respond to gender-based violence will be paramount alongside addressing risks of trafficking and sexual exploitation and abuse. Support will be also be provided for education, livelihoods and through cash assistance where feasible.

Media contacts

Jens Laerke, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), [email protected], +41 79 472 9750

Matthew Saltmarsh, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, [email protected], +41 79 967 99 36

Disclaimer

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

To learn more about OCHA’s activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.

UN calls for US$3 billion to rush life-saving aid and protection to people hit by Sudan crisis

Source: Philippines Legacy PH

Attachments (Geneva, 17 May 2023) – With the conflict in Sudan entering its second month, the United Nations and its partners today cal...

20/05/2023

BAMAKO — As violence, population displacements and climate shocks continue to exacerbate food insecurity and malnutrition in Mali, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) requires urgent funding to ramp up emergency food and nutritional assistance to 3.8 million women, men and children in conflict-affected regions in central, northern, and south-eastern Mali.

WFP’s augmented response will target hard-to-reach areas like Menaka, where the number of people forced to flee their homes continues to rise – with hunger reaching catastrophic levels due to the combined effects of climate extremes and inter-communal violence.

“Food insecurity has already reached alarming levels in Menaka. We need to act now before it’s too late to avert a full-blown famine by ensuring that vulnerable people receive rapid and effective assistance. The consequences of inaction are unthinkable,” said Eric Perdison, WFP Representative and Country Director in Mali.

The culmination of insecurity, climate shocks, and high food prices continue to drive acute hunger and malnutrition in Mali, with the number of people facing irregular access to nutritious food projected to increase to 1.2 million during the June-September lean season, according to the March 2023 Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis. For the first time since the Cadre Harmonisé was launched in 2014, over 2,500 people in the Menaka region are projected to experience catastrophic levels of hunger (CH phase 5) during the lean season — just one step away from famine.

The spread of insecurity into the previously secure southern and western regions of Mali is also negatively impacting agriculture, fishing, and livestock production and significantly reducing families’ capacity to access food. The latest market analysis of February 2023 indicated that food prices have increased drastically for millet (up 55%), sorghum (up 27%), corn (up 43%), imported rice (up 26%), and local rice (up 28%), compared to the five-year averages. These increases are exacerbating access to food for the poorest families.

Overall, in 2023, WFP plans to provide emergency food and nutrition assistance to 3.8 million people in Mali including 650,000 during the pre-lean season (March to May) and 1.2 million food insecure people during the June-September lean season. In collaboration with the Malian Food Security Commission, WFP is currently distributing cash-based assistance to support 487,500 members of the host community and 162,500 internally displaced people allowing them to purchase foods of their choice from local markets. In addition to this vital emergency food assistance, WFP will continue implementing malnutrition prevention and treatment programmes benefitting 450,000 children (aged 6-59 months), 22,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls, and 48,000 parents with hospitalized children diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. But without adequate funding, WFP’s response will be drastically reduced.

To continue providing food and nutrition assistance to vulnerable people in Mali, WFP urgently requires US$ 110 million over the next six months. Funding constraints have already forced WFP to reduce food rations by 50 percent for host communities in April and May. Without adequate funding, WFP will be forced to put in place even deeper cuts starting in June.

For more information please contact

Myrline Sanogo-Mathieu, WFP/ Bamako,

Tel. +223 84 31 08 30

Djaounsede Madjiangar, WFP/Dakar,

Tel: +221 77 364 36 26

WFP calls for urgent support to ramp up operations in Mali as thousands face food catastrophe

Source: Philippines Legacy PH

BAMAKO — As violence, population displacements and climate shocks continue to exacerbate food insecurity and malnutrition in Mali, the Uni...

19/05/2023

Kampala, Uganda, May 17, 2023 — Ahead of World Nutrition Day on May 28th, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is warning about the dire consequences of acute malnutrition – the most life-threatening form of malnutrition – on women and children in Uganda’s refugee settlements, where the number of cases across five settlements has risen by nearly 50% from 2021 to 2022.

According to data collected from different IRC-supported health facilities and service points across the five settlements, there were close to 6,300 acute malnutrition cases treated in 2021, while in 2022, the figure rose to more than 9,300, with the majority of cases being children and women. In the first quarter of 2023 alone, over 2,000 cases have already been recorded, indicating a worrying trend. (Datasource: DHIS2)

Additionally, according to the IPC Acute Malnutrition Analysis 2022, it is estimated that 36,590 children aged 6-59 months across all refugee settlements are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition and in need of treatment in the period of February 2022 to January 2023. Worryingly, over 4,000 pregnant and lactating women among the refugee population are affected by acute malnutrition and in need of treatment in the same period.

The most recent Food Security and Nutrition Assessment report indicates that the main causes of this situation include the generally poor food consumption levels among children with the minimum acceptable diet as low as 8.5% across settlements; and the high cases of malaria and acute respiratory infections with more than 75% of children in settlements having tested positive for malaria in the past two weeks preceding the survey.

Susan, a mother of a 12-month-old child being treated for acute malnutrition at one of the IRC supported facilities had this to say,

“… I have failed to produce breast milk for my baby because I am not eating enough. Now my child is sick. I have a large family of 10 members, two of whom are disabled and need constant care – we can’t move the distance to where the land is to grow some food. Now with the food ration reduction, it is getting worse.”

The situation has been further compounded by significant humanitarian funding reductions for critical services, such as health and nutrition, as well as food ration cuts by the World Food Program (WFP). The WFP’s universal food ration reduction to 70% of households’ daily needs, which began in 2020, has resulted in refugee households receiving only 26-48% of the minimum daily needs, with dietary diversity sharply impacted. Refugees face challenges in accessing land to grow their own food, and the impact of climate change is also a contributing factor. Meanwhile, the overstretched health system is dealing with high rates of diseases such as malaria, acute diarrhea and pneumonia, as well as ongoing outbreaks of measles and mumps.

Elijah Okeyo, the IRC Uganda Country Director, said

“The world is set to mark World Nutrition Day to raise awareness about the importance of the right to nutrition for all, yet, the current situation in Uganda’s refugee settlements paints a bleak picture. We need immediate action, and additional resources to fund critical service delivery, including health and nutrition, as well as more sustainable mechanisms such as improving livelihoods and environment-friendly agriculture.

The consequences of failing to address the issue could be dire, including poor child growth and development affecting education outcomes, maternal health challenges, the premature return of refugees to their countries of origin, and movement across borders in search of basic needs such as food, exposing them to unsafe and conflict situations, among other long-term implications. This is a grim reality – the world cannot afford to stand back and watch.”

It is critical to increase the ability of acutely malnourished children in places like Uganda to access lifesaving treatment by adopting simplified approaches that are effective and efficient. A scalable solution exists: treatment with ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), an easy-to-administer, shelf-stable fortified peanut butter paste has shown to be highly effective for more than 20 years. The overwhelming majority of malnourished children who receive this treatment fully recover within weeks. And yet globally, 80 percent of children suffering from acute malnutrition cannot access this treatment. The IRC has proven innovations to deliver this solution at scale, increasing the number of children treated and lives saved at the same cost as the current approach. A simplified combined protocol using a single product, a simplified dosing schedule, and simplified diagnostic criteria is equally effective and in fact more cost-effective than the standard, more complex clinical approach.

*Note: The DHIS2 figures shown here indicate the number of malnutrition cases recorded at IRC supported health facilities and service points across the settlements of BidiBidi, Imvepi, Rhino, Palabek and Kiryandogo. This doesn’t represent the absolute numbers on ground. *

The IRC began programming in 1998 in northern Uganda in response to mass displacement wrought by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Since then, the IRC has expanded to provide critical services for refugees and vulnerable Ugandans throughout the country. The IRC started supporting refugees and vulnerable individuals in Kampala in 2012 and was one of the first organizations to respond in 2016 at the onset of the South Sudanese refugee crisis. As of 2019, the IRC entered the Tooro region to support refugees while also providing epidemic preparedness and response services throughout the region. In addition to emergency support, the IRC also invests in long-term stability for refugees and Ugandans through programs like immunization, family planning, legal services, women’s empowerment, education, and livelihoods.

IRC warns of alarming increase in acute malnutrition cases in Uganda’s refugee settlements

Source: Philippines Legacy PH

Kampala, Uganda, May 17, 2023 — Ahead of World Nutrition Day on May 28th, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is warning about the d...

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