Integrated lifesaving nutrition response to conflict affected and vulnerable populations (Children 6-59 months, pregnant and lactating women) in Nyal Panyijar County, South Sudan. International Medical Corps (IMC) is a 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 programmes 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 programmes on the ground, including but not limited to financial management, procurement management/international procurements, and logistics.

IMC is requesting funds to ensure continuation of lifesaving nutrition (CMAM and MIYCN) interventions and fill the gaps to the most affected internally displaced people (IDPs) and the host populations of Nyal, Panyijar County, Unity state. This will ensure continuity of the nutrition program in the proposed area that have very high levels of acute malnutrition with a GAM rate of 19.6% according FSNMS data concluded in September 2018. Very high level of acute malnutrition in Panyjair is attributed to poor food consumption, displacement and poor access to health and nutrition services, high morbidity, extremely poor diets and poor sanitation and hygiene. In the presence of these aggravating factors, the situation can deteriorate further if humanitarian interventions are not continued timely. 

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the reduction of mortality, morbidity and impact of poor growth development due to acute malnutrition. Activities will focus on treatment and prevention of acute malnutrition among children (boys and girls) aged 0-59 months and pregnant and lactating women with acute malnutrition through management of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) at outpatient therapeutic programs (OTP)/targeted supplementary feeding program (TSFP) nutrition facilities and provision of support to MIYCN focusing on the first 1000 days of a child’s life. The response will strengthen the existing static nutrition sites and support outreach nutrition services to address the underserved and affected population of Nyal, Panyijar. CMAM approach will be implemented through 8 existing sites in Nyal (4 static OTP/) and 4 outreach sites in island villages). The nutrition activities will be integrated with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), food security and livelihood (FSL), and health activities in coordination with other partners for a more holistic approach and greater impact.  Through the proposed project, IMC will reach a total of 21,894 (12,716 children under five, 7,648 PLWs and 1,530 males) beneficiaries with acute malnutrition in Nyal, Panyijar County. The project will rely fully on the Logistics Cluster to deliver supplies to the project locations. There is an existing Field Level Agreement (FLA) with WFP for TSFP supplies in managing MAM cases and a program cooperation agreement (PCA) with UNICEF to support SAM cases in Nyal.

International Medical Corps with already established Nutrition surveillance team supported by OFDA will continue conducting nutrition surveys/assessments to ensure adequate availability of information that will be vital in decision-making and increasing nutrition service intervention, in turn saving more lives due to acute malnutrition. Under this project, International Medical Corps, in collaboration with the Nutrition Information Working Group (NIWG), will conduct two SMART surveys in priority counties with a high need for information where actors are either not present or do not have the capacity to conduct assessments.