Provision of Lifesaving Nutrition in the high priority districts in Herat and Faryab provinces of Afghanistan According to Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs Overview for 2022, the massive increase in food insecurity, the instability of the socio-economic and political situation, decades of conflict and displacement, droughts, COVID-19 pandemic, and unaddressed nutritional needs in the past years have combined to drive a surge in acute malnutrition amongst vulnerable populations. 
An estimated 4.7 million people will suffer from acute malnutrition in 2022, an increase of 21 per cent from 2021, including 1,078,804 children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM), 2,807,452 children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), and 836,657 pregnant and lactating women (PLW) with acute malnutrition. An updated Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis shows that in the first quarter of 2022, a staggering 23 million people, or 55 per cent of the population, are expected to be in crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity (IPC 3 and 4). An estimated 8.7 million people in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and 14 million people in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) require urgent action to save their lives, reduce food gaps and protect their livelihoods. 

Children, pregnant and lactating women (PLWs) and the elderly are considered the most affected by food insecurity. Malnutrition is a top cause of death in children under age 5 (U5), contributing to 45 per cent of deaths among children U5 it is estimated that a child with acute malnutrition is 3 to 12 times more likely to die than a well-nourished child, depending on severity. While the increase in recent years of the absolute number of children receiving treatment for acute malnutrition can be partly attributed to the increased number of service delivery points, a large proportion of children still cannot access nutrition services half of all districts have achieved below 50 per cent of treatment coverage. Substantial expansion of the nutrition response is required to close the gap, to meet new needs, to save lives and to preserve the development potential of children. 

According to the Multi-Sector Rapid Needs Assessment analysis conducted by WVA in March 2022 malnutrition rates remain high across targeted areas: Herat- prevalence of malnutrition (12.8%), SAM (2.5%), MAM (10.3%) and PLW (12.8%) Herat- malnutrition (16.4%), SAM (3.8%), MAM (12.6%) and PLWs (38.4%).  

World Vision intends to deliver essential nutrition treatment for children U5 with SAM and MAM and PLW in the hard-to-reach districts (HRD) through forming Mobile Health and Nutrition Teams (MHNT). 5 MHNTs will be established to deliver Emergency health and nutrition lifesaving services to the targeted population (for 65,847 individuals), based on the MoPH policy and using the protocol for MHNTs and the protocol on provision of primary lifesaving integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM). MHNTs staff will receive orientation on the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) protocol and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) in emergency protocol as well as Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) training and rolling out orientations. WV will also provide lifesaving referral for those cases that require inpatient services and will ensure that a transportation and treatment facility are provided for them. 

Children aged 6-59 months among populations affected by new crises will be screened for acute malnutrition. Nutritional supplementation (targeted supplementary feeding program) will be provided to children aged 6-69 months and PLWs. Mothers of children 0-23 months affected by rapid onset crisis will be targeted for infant and young child feeding counselling services. 

WV attends the EPR meetings on a weekly basis and updates the key actors including DoPH, UNICEF and WHO on the project progress the project report will be shared on a weekly and monthly basis to the key nutrition cluster focal points and DEWS surveillance focal points.