Integrated lifesaving nutrition response to conflict, most affected and vulnerable populations (Children 6-59 months, pregnant and lactating women) in Malakal PoC and Nyal Panyijar County   South Sudan. International Medical Corps (IMC) is an US-registered independent affiliate organization of International Medical Corps UK (IMC UK), with which IMC UK shares the same name and charitable objectives and mission. IMC UK and IMC work together to deliver assistance programs in an accountable and effective manner in pursuit of their commonly-held charitable objectives. IMC UK will engage IMC to implement its Programs in the field, with IMC UK oversight, according to the terms and conditions of any agreement that results from this proposal and the terms of the parties’ administrative service agreement. IMC maintains a branch office in Croatia, IMC Split that provides administrative and operational support to IMC UK and to the Programs on the ground, including but not limited to financial management, procurement management/international procurements, and logistics.

Through SSHF call for proposal, IMC is requesting funds to ensure continuation and scaling up of lifesaving nutrition (CMAM and MIYCN) intervention to the most affected Internally displaced people (IDPs) and the host populations in Upper Nile (Malakal PoC) and in Nyal, Panyijar County Unity state. 46% of the population targeted by this project are IDPs dependent on humanitarian assistance that includes nutrition rehabilitation. Currently there are 30,283 IDPs in Malakal PoC and 74,888 individuals are IDPs and host populations in Panyijar county.

The proposed SSHF funding will run for 6 months from September 01, 2018 to February 28, 2019. This is to ensure continuity of the nutrition program in the proposed areas that have critical levels of GAM (gt15%) and have already been declared in emergency (IPC Phase 4) acute food insecurity in May-July 2018 in both locations. Very high levels of acute malnutrition in Nyal Panyijar county and Malakal PoC is mainly attributed to widespread fighting, displacement and poor access to health and nutrition services, extremely poor diet (in terms of both quality and quantity), low coverage of sanitation facilities and deplorable hygiene practices. The proposed response will strengthen the existing static nutrition sites and support to scale up outreach nutrition services to address the underserved and affected people of the two counties through attaining the most vulnerable groups of the population being children under five, pregnant and lactating women (PLW) and disabled people.

The overall Objectives of the project is to contribute to reduction of morbidity and mortality of children under five and PLW due to acute malnutrition in Malakal PoC and Nyal, Panyijar county, through provision of quality management of acute malnutrition, promotion of maternal, infant and young child nutrition (MIYCN) in emergency as well as monitoring, surveillance and analysis of the evolving nutrition situation in the project locations. 

Through the proposed project,  IMC will reach 26,500 (children under five and PLW) beneficiaries in Malakal PoC and Nyal, Panyijar County. The project will provide lifesaving nutrition services focusing on the most vulnerable, especially PLW and children under five. The nutrition activities will be integrated with the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), food security and livelihood (FSL), and health activities for a more holistic approach and greater impact in coordination with other partners. CMAM approach will be implemented through existing 5 static outpatient therapeutic programs (OTP)/ targeted supplementary feeding program (TSFP) in Nyal and 1 static site in Malakal PoC and will scale up to 3 outreach sites in Panyijar County island Villages  The project will rely fully on log cluster to deliver supplies to the project locations. There is an existing Field level agreement with WFP for TSFP in managing moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) cases and PCA with UNICEF to support severe acute malnutrition (SAM) cases in both Malakal PoC and Nyal Panyijar counties.