HIGHLIGHTS
Malnutrition: Serious situation in some parts of the region of Gao
Community support for the re-opening of schools in the region of Kidal
15% of the total population affected by food insecurity
Gender-based violence: 3/4 of cases are not reported
One humanitarian worker killed in an attack
New malnutrition data on Gao and Kidal regions
Retrospective nutrition and mortality SMART1 surveys were conducted in the regions of Kidal and Gao in November and December 2014, respectively. The surveys’ data revealed a worrisome situation in Gao region where the prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) reaches 11.3 per cent (i.e. "serious" malnutrition situation in the WHO classification)2. The results of the survey indicate that malnutrition is more severe in urban areas than in rural areas, further analysis would be necessary to explain this trend.
The districts of Gao and Bourem, where severe3 acute malnutrition rates exceed 2 per cent, were identified as priority response areas.
The situation is of less concern in the region of Kidal where the survey revealed a rather stable trend of global malnutrition since 20114, below the threshold of 10 per cent. The consumption of milk by children (until they reach 24-36 months), which is part of people’s nutritional habits, seems to help prevent nutrition crisis in addition to the availability of various commodities imported from Algeria.
However, the survey revealed a high number of severe acute malnutrition cases in 2014 in the region of Kidal and recommended further investigations to determine the causes of this trend.