Scaling up severe acute malnutrition (SAM) treatment services and providing lifesaving therapeutic supply (RUTF) for drought affected districts of Badghis, Jawzjan, Nooristan, Farah, Takhar, Samangan, Urozgan, Zabul and Badakhshan provinces. More than two third of the country (21 out of 34 provinces) have been affected by drought [EFSA 2018]. An estimation of 9.8 million people were classified in crises and emergency phases of food insecurity across Afghanistan [IPC 2018].
The impact of drought on the nutritional status of vulnerable groups especially children aged under-five is highly linked to reduced access to safe water, health concerns and increased likelihood of food insecurity. The potential consequences of severe food insecurity and limited water availability will affect the most vulnerable people across Afghanistan, particularly children aged under-five who may experience a deterioration in their nutritional status due to poor access to potable water.

Hence, UNICEF in close coordination with nutrition cluster and in-line with Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) strategy prioritized the needs for scale up of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) services through sub-health centers and mobile nutrition teams in partnership with DoPH and BPHS IPs and also the need for provision of lifesaving therapeutic supplies for a total of 10,367 children aged 6-59 months with SAM in 40 districts of 9 provinces (Badghis, Jawzjan, Nooristan, Farah, Takhar, Samangan, Urozgan, Zabul and Badakhshan).

To complement the response, UNICEF will address the need of lifesaving therapeutic supplies (therapeutic milks and ReSoMaL) in 40 drought affected districts of 9 target provinces using existing stocks. However, UNICEF is seeking for USD 1,009,443.17 from AHF grant for procurement of 9,400 cartons of RUTF to fill the gap for treatment of 10,367 children aged 6-59 months and to implement quality SAM treatment services in partnership with DoPH and BPHS IPs through sub-health centers and mobile nutrition teams.

UNICEF will procure the RUTF through it is own mechanism. These supplies will be stored at national and regional UNICEF warehouses. Based on agreement between UNICEF and government the MoPH is responsible to receive, review and forward the supply requests to UNICEF on quarterly basis. Afterwards, UNICEF review the requests and process the delivery of requested supplies for implementing partners (IPs) to the provincial level. The implementing partners (AADA, ACTD, AHDS, SAF, WVI, YHDO, DoPHs, SHDP/ RHDO, CHA, SHRO, ORCD, and CAF/ AKDN) will be fully responsible to make sure that RUTF are used in the outpatient and inpatient treatment of SAM sites and report to MoPH/ PND, nutrition cluster, UNICEF and OCHA as per agency requirement. The activities will be implemented through the fixed health facilities and mobile nutrition teams in the targeted districts. 
Moreover, UNICEF in partnership with BPHS IP intend to further decentralize the services to community through scale up of SAM services to 30 sub-health centers (SHCs) in 6 provinces (Badakshan, Takhar, Urozgan, Zabul and Nooristan). Furthermore, UNICEF will continue the services delivery through four UNICEF supported mobile nutrition clinics in Badghis IDP sites, two mobile nutrition teams in Jawzjan and three mobile nutrition teams in Samangan provinces using AHF grant. 
UNICEF also intend to conduct training on IYCF-E for the nutrition officers working in drought affected provinces to further strength quality implementation of nutrition preventive component in emergency sitting.

The overall objective of this intervention is to contribute to the reduction of morbidity and mortality related to undernutrition amongst children aged under-five. UNICEF will closely coordinate with MoPH/ PND and IPs for management of lifesaving therapeutic supplies and for quality delivery of SAM services through health facilities and mobile teams.