Providing lifesaving preventive and curative nutrition services for vulnerable population groups with attention to children and women with special needs in NW Syria. In response to the demonstrated nutrition needs on the ground, Human Appeal Turkey (HAT) and Social Development International (SDI) proposes to jointly operate 11 nutrition rapid response teams (RRTs) across North West Syria (NWS) targeting the children under 5 (CU5) and pregnant and lactating women (PLWs) among others of the most vulnerable groups within the areas of priority (As per the nutrition cluster and this allocation paper) with essential life-saving curative and preventative nutrition services as follows:

- HAT: Establishment and operation of 4 RRTs in Dana sub-district for a duration of 11 months (Locations are coordinated with the nutrition cluster).

- SDI: Operation of pre-existing 7 RRTs: 2 in Afrin, 1 in Maaret Tamisrin, 3 in dana, and 1 in Salqin sub-districts for a duration of 12 months.

The project will be implemented in 23 communities across 4 sub- districts (Dana, Maaret Tamisrin, Afrin and Salqin) provide nutrition services for 83546 beneficiaries including (19200 Pregnant and lactating women 44800 children under five years and 19546 other caregivers (men and women)) (79918 IDPs and 3628 HCs) (1800 PWDs).

HAT and SDI will collaborate to promote the ultimate utilization of the pre-existing resources and expertise relevant to the intervention including the use of the trained staff at both organizations and the shared usage of the assembly points, warehouses, OTPs as well as the exchange of relevant technical expertise and measures of access and coordination at the field level. It’s imperative to mention that both HAT and SDI will make sure that the above will not result in increased costing of the proposed intervention. On the contrary, having such complementarity measures in place will potentially lead to overall cost effectiveness of the project.

The proposed RRTs are planned to function according to the TORs and SOPs adopted by the nutrition cluster, and they will be providing the following nutrition services:

 Screening 44800 children 6-59 months, and 19200 PLWs, referral and follow up who are malnourished.
 Provide emergency IYCF counseling for 7750 caregivers including PLWs.
 Disseminating messages on IYCF-E recommended feeding practices, for 30.000 caregivers including PLWs.

 Screen, referral CU5 and PLWs with dangers signs and Medical problems.
 Support hygiene promotion and rising WASH awareness by providing Key messages to prevent the risk of COVID 19 transmission and other infections.
 Identify visual signs of abuse/violence against childU5/PLWs during Nutrition screening.
 Capacity building of 60 frontline nutrition services providers on IYCF-E and CMAM programs in the context of COVID-19 and provide continuous technical support for human appeal teams to build their capacity and strengthen their experience in nutrition field work.

As a part to COVID 19 response, the partners are going to apply adjustments of the nutrition activities to mitigate the risk of infection while ensuring continuity of life-saving nutrition services, where they are going to integrate key messages on hygiene and COVID-19 symptoms, and (IPC) measures, implement a simplified protocol for the treatment of acute malnutrition, use a separate MUAC tape for each child and PLW, distribute micronutrients for two months in advance if available, screen and refer suspected COVID-19 cases, applying recommended IPC measures, provide IYCF-E counseling, either at the appropriate distance of 1 meters apart or remotely by phone or video and disseminate IYCF-E messages use platforms such as text messages and WhatsApp videos, posters in public places. 
The partners will train the caregivers of MAM and SAM cases on MUAC and edema screening, referral, recognize signs of deterioration, and give them a mobile or WhatsApp number of the CHW to contact in case the child’s condition deteriorates.