Provision of preventive and curative nutrition services to vulnerable women and children under five years in Syria. Ten years of protracted conflict in Syria has led to a staggering 4.9 million people (1.7 million pregnant and lactating women and 3.3 million children under 59 months of age) in need of life-saving nutrition interventions in 2021, which is 0.3 million more than in 2020. 

Acute malnutrition among children is consistently increasing and levels close to the emergency threshold are observed among displaced and hard to reach populations. Chronic malnutrition, often linked to poor Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices and maternal malnutrition, high levels of anemia among children and pregnant and lactating mothers, remains one of the major public health and development concerns in Syria. 
Maternal malnutrition remains a concern, with levels varying across geographic areas and observed worse among displaced and hard to reach populations. Almost one in three pregnant women are anemic while maternal malnutrition remains a major public health and nutrition concern in Syria, leading to poor intrauterine growth, high risks during pregnancy, and childbirth complications. 

The depreciation of the Syrian pound and deteriorating household economy will further aggravate the nutrition situation of mothers and children. COVID-19 outbreak has affected access to health and nutrition services and food markets and will likely play a vicious cycle with malnutrition. If urgent life-saving nutrition needs are not properly addressed, malnutrition among children and mother will continue increasing across Syria and will have devastating, long-term and intergenerational impacts. 

This project addresses the immediate and mid-term nutritional needs of women and children in Syria with a special focus on the rural areas of Deir Ezour, Lattakia, Tartous and Rural Damascus. The priorities are early detection and treatment of severe acute malnutrition and the prevention of acute malnutrition. 
The detection of acute malnutrition will be done through MUAC measurements. As both implementing partners have been working with UNICEF, they have enough quantities of MUAC tapes, nevertheless, UNICEF has enough stock of this item in the country in case the IP requires additional quantity. The services will be delivered mainly by two national NGOs through three fixed clinics and seven mobile teams. According to SPHERE standards, the project should reach gt 75% of total population in the urban areas and gt 50% in the rural areas. Nevertheless, the project aims to reach 100% of the total population especially the IPs have experience and are known to the local communities, services will be delivered through seven mobile teams and fixed clinics, and outreach activities will be conducted in many targeted communities with door to door household visits.

The project has many activities to implement, with the main targeted groups are children under the age of 5 years and pregnant and lactating women (PLW). After the child is screened and identified with acute malnutrition, they will either receive treatment for severe acute malnutrition with provision of therapeutic spread which UNICEF procures and gives to the implementing partners, or the child receive treatment for moderate acute malnutrition with provision of RUSF, which WFP gives it to the IPs. If the child is not identified with malnutrition, they receive micronutrient supplementation, with skilled IYCF counselling to their mothers as an integral component of the program. PLWs will also be screened for acute malnutrition and provided with treatment supplies, which IPs get from WFP. If mothers are not identified with acute malnutrition, they will be provided with micronutrient supplementation. Therapeutic spread and micronutrient supplementation for children and PLW are procured through UNICEF and provided to the IPs.

This project will be completed in one year and the population covered through this support will be 146,332 women and children including women and children with disabilities.