Chad: Measures against malnutrition in Ouré Cassoni

camp

A woman holding her child maintains her garden in Ouré Cassoni Photo ©UNHCR/ I. Diane

Ouré Cassoni, May 10, 2017 (UNHCR) - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is setting up a mechanism to combat malnutrition in the Ouré Cassoni camp where the situation is described as critical. The plan targets the most vulnerable groups of pregnant and lactating women and children under 5 years of age in this camp of 28,364 Sudanese refugees, located 7 km from Sudan border in eastern Chad.

The results of the nutrition survey carried out in December 2016 in this camp showed a prevalence of acute malnutrition of 18.9% and severe acute malnutrition of 3%.

These rates of acute and severe acute malnutrition far exceed the emergency threshold, according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards of less than 5% for overall acute malnutrition and less than 2% for severe acute malnutrition.

According to the nutrition survey, the anemia rate in the camp is also worrying, as it is 47% while the WHO recommends a threshold lower than 20%.

The same is true for chronic malnutrition, which is supposed to be below 20%. But in Ouré Cassoni, it is almost 43%.

All 19 refugee camps in Chad show the same high rates of anemia and chronic malnutrition affecting

children's growth and development.The critical situation of Ouré Cassonie is explained by its accentuated arid and desert

environment compared to the other camps of the region. This austere environment is characterized by inadequate farmland for both refugees and host peoples. Only 1,021 people out of the 28,364 inhabitants of the camp practice agriculture.

Moreover, in recent years there has been a reduction in humanitarian assistance in the camps due to the diminishing resources facing UNHCR and its partners.

Faced with the special situation of Ouré Cassoni camp, UNHCR and its partners have taken a series of measures to support pregnant and nursing mothers through vouchers valued at 10,000 FCFA per month. With these vouchers, women can obtain food from traders selected for this activity that will take place from May to November 2017 in the camp.

In addition, the World Food Program, which is also facing budgetary difficulties, will distribute food supplements to children aged 6 to 59 months (CSB ++) and pregnant and breastfeeding women (CSB +) from 1 June to 31 December 2017.

The activity offers a varied choice of food to beneficiaries and promotes local trade Photo © UNHCR / A. Ibrahima

The beneficiaries of this plan are pregnant and lactating women and children under 5 years of age Photo © UNHCR / A. Ibrahima

WFP also agreed to increase by 60% the food rations, which had dropped from 2100 to 885 Kcal per person per day. It will now be 1,267 kcal / per day.

The major challenge in implementing more sustained activities against malnutrition and resilience in the camps remains the mobilization of resources for refugees who have lived in Chad for 14 years.

Chad is home to nearly 400,000 refugees, 80 percent of whom are the 317,000 Sudanese who fled the conflict in Darfur in 2003 and are settled in 12 camps in the east of the country.