Executive Summary
Mauritania had not fully recovered from the food price crisis of 2008 when an exceptionally severe drought struck the Sahel region in 2011-2012. The combination of poor harvests, high food prices and loss of livestock left much of the population severely food insecure. The conflict in Mali in 2012 exacerbated the crisis, disrupting food imports and triggering an influx of refugees. In mid-2012, during the peak lean season, almost a third of Mauritania’s population of 3.6 million were food insecure - the highest ever recorded.
Global acute malnutrition prevalence among children 6-59 months was 12 percent (“serious”), with certain areas beyond 15 percent and considered “critical”. By December 2012, 17 percent of Mauritanian households remained food-insecure.
Despite a relatively good 2012/2013 harvest and improved food availability, agricultural production remains insufficient to meet the country’s food requirements. Communities remain weakened by the cumulative shocks of previous crises. Food security monitoring indicates that 800,000 people will be food-insecure by July 2013.
This protracted relief and recovery operation builds upon the assistance provided under emergency operation 200333 (February 2012 - April 2013) and supports a transition towards a more comprehensive resilience strategy. It is aligned to the 2013 Consolidated Appeal and to WFP’s Strategic Objectives 1 and 3. The PRRO aims to contribute to building reliable and predictable social safety nets in order to strengthen populations’ resistance to future crises and prevent relapse, with the following specific objectives:
Reduce moderate acute malnutrition among children 6-59 months and pregnant and lactating women through targeted supplementary feeding
Prevent acute malnutrition among children 6-24 months through blanket supplementary feeding.
Improve the food security and livelihoods of the most vulnerable households by rebuilding economic, agricultural and environmental assets through food assistance for assets.
Support the livelihoods of most vulnerable populations in urban areas through skills training.