Emergency Nutrition Intervention in Hodeidah and Abyan governorates, Yemen In order to address malnutrition in Yemen, Action Contre la Faim proposes to target some of the most vulnerable populations in locations identified under the Integrated Famine Risk Reduction (IFRR) framework, as well as areas affected by internally displaced person (IDP) movements and harder-to-reach areas. Action Contre la Faim will address the needs by providing nutrition prevention and treatment services, including infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and care practices, for pregnant and lactating women (PLWs) and children under 5 (U5). Action Contre la Faim will intervene according to the Nutrition Cluster objectives and the priorities under the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP, 2018).

Hodeidah governorate remains amongst highest risk areas for child malnutrition and mortality with an acute malnutrition rate persistently above the emergency threshold. According to the Emergency Food Security and Nutrition Assessment (EFSNA) conducted by MoPHP/UNICEF in 2016, and the SMART survey in 2018, GAM and SAM prevalence rates indicate a serious nutrition situation as further described in the needs assessments (see Annexes 3 and 4). 

Action Contre La Faim proposes to scale up community and facility-based preventive and curative emergency life-saving nutrition interventions in Bajil district and Al-Khokha districts of Hodeidah and Khanfir district of Abyan governorate. The OTPs and SC provide life-saving treatment to children 6 to 59 months with SAM. A comprehensive capacity-building and supervision package for MoPHP staff will be in place to ensure delivery of services at the health facility, temporary clinic, and stabilization center levels. The community outreach component, which entails the recruitment of Community Nutrition Volunteers (CNVs), will be implemented in order to identify children with acute malnutrition on time and refer them to the nutrition OTP sites. 

As per Action Contre la Faim’s global mandate, care practices are an integral part of the nutritional prevention and treatment process. Appropriate care practices have a direct impact on the wellbeing, health, and nutritional status of a child, by avoiding delayed development due to malnutrition as indicated in UNICEF’s conceptual framework of malnutrition (1997) . 

Planned activities will directly benefit caregivers of all ages, including pregnant and lactating women (PLWs), specifically those who are the most vulnerable, such as those experiencing psychosocial distress, female-headed households, isolated, widows, elderly, early pregnancy and early marriage etc. Activities will in-turn positively impact malnourished children under 2 years, through a first phase, life-saving treatment approach, and children U5 at-risk of malnutrition through a second-phase prevention approach to malnutrition, with priority given to infants under 6 months. Caregivers will be empowered to improve care practices, through the delivery of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) counselling and education. The caregivers will receive support for their wellbeing as well as that of their children (i.e. play amp emotional stimulation, responsiveness to developmental milestones etc.), a vitally important approach to ensure strengthened resilience against future adversity. 

Activities will complement each stage of the nutrition prevention and treatment process in 11 selected health facilities: 5 facilities in Bajil district (Albari HU, Almuhadebah HU, Aljurizi HU, Deer Quml HU and Arj HU) and 6 in Khanfir district (Jol Yaramis HF, Altariah HF, Almakhzan HF, Alharour HF, Al Musaimer HU and Almeyoh HU). Additionally, three temporary clinics in Al-Khokha, and one stabilisation centre (inside the Shoqra Hospital) run by MoPHP and Action Contre La Faim reaching internally displaced people (IDPs) and host communities. There will be separate, private, and safe spaces for caregivers to engage in activities, in order to practice breastfeeding and discuss sensitive topics in a dignified mann