Acute malnutrition remains serious concern in north-east Syria

Acute malnutrition – the life-threatening form of malnutrition- remains a serious concern across north-east Syria (NE Syria), driven by insecurity, displacement, economic deterioration, precarious livelihoods, inadequate health care services and the water crisis and drought conditions affecting the region. UNICEF now provides life-saving nutrition services to prevent and treat acute malnutrition across the north-east, but more is needed.

UNICEF and the Nutrition Sector, including WFP, must continue to expand preventive, community-based as well as specialized inpatient nutrition services to children with acute malnutrition and ensure the availability of critical supplies.

2021 was the first year when UNICEF was able to reach every sub-district of Al-Hasakeh Governorate with nutrition centres and mobile teams, as well as reaching four of seven subdistricts in Ar-Raqqa . This follows 2019 when UNICEF was able to access only a third of sub-districts in Al-Hasakeh. In 2020, COVID-19 prevention measures saw lockdowns and a curfew in NE Syria, which were a major barrier to reaching children and mothers with the nutrition activities and supplies across the year.

In addition to providing life-saving treatment to children suffering from acute malnutrition, this access allowed detailed nutrition data to be collected to understand the nutritional status and needs of these children using weight-forheight measurements taken from the nutrition surveillance data in fixed and mobile clinics. This data acts as the basis for this paper.

Al-Hasakeh Governorate, moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) rates increased in June 2021, coinciding with the onset of the drought. The lack of safe water in addition to severe heat and limited access to health services were the main causes of this peak, along with underlying concerns around limited access to nutritious food and inadequate feeding practices. It is likely that the rise in MAM cases is also related to the subsequent increase in cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) detected in September.

Ar-Raqqa Governorate began 2021 with a relatively high GAM rate, due in part to the particularly restrictive COVID-19 prevention measures imposed there in 2020. The water crisis and drought conditions, as well as lack of access and services, contributed to the high GAM rates seen in Ar-Raqqa throughout 2021, along with underlying concerns around limited access to nutritious food and inadequate feeding practices.

In 2021, UNICEF reached 336,00 children and caregivers with preventive and curative nutrition services in Al-Hasakeh and Ar-Raqqa Governorate. This was up from 339,000 in 2020; and 392,000 in 2019. Going into 2022, UNICEF is preparing to provide nutrition assistance to 377,000 children in NE Syria, whose needs have increased due to drought-affected food insecurity, along with on-going underlying factors including conflict, displacement, economic deterioration, precarious livelihoods and inadequate health care services. The section below highlights the key actions UNICEF and partners undertook in 2021 to increase the access and availability of the data and services to inform our approach for the prevention and treatment of acute malnutrition in NE Syria in 2022 and beyond.

Acute malnutrition remains serious concern in north-east Syria
Source: Philippines Legacy PH