Highlights
Mauritania is the single largest recipient of refugees fleeing the conflict in Mali.
75,019 refugees are living in the Mbéra camp, including 20,815 new arrivals in 2013.
57% of the refugees are children and many have been in the camp for over a year, resulting in overlapping emergency and medium term needs.
Refugee children face a range of threats to their health, nutrition, education and family lives. Many have experienced severe trauma and are suffering from malnutrition and need specialised attention and care.
UNICEF, in coordination with UNHCR and partners, are providing education in the camp for 5,790 children in 6 schools and psychosocial stimulation for 1,152 children at 4 child friendly spaces. All 14 schools, child friendly spaces and treatment centres for severe acute malnutrition in Mbéra refugee camp have been provided with access to clean water and sanitation.
More resources are needed to fill gaps including 19,510 children not getting an education.
UNICEF Mauritania has received $710,170 through CERF to meet the basic needs of 15,000 new refugees over the next 6 months.
In 2013, the expected caseload of Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) for the entire country is 122,719 children under 5 years, including 23,901 cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).
A multi-sectorial package of services is being scaled up from 291 to all 488 nutrition centres in the country and the WASH in Nutrition package is being strengthened.
Results of the latest SMART survey on nutrition have been released. A joint UNICEF, WFP and FAO programme, supported by the EU, to build resilience will be launched soon to improve nutrition, food security and social protection.