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Bahr-el-Ghazal Nutritionists Meet
Nutritionists from six NGOs
working in Bahr-El-Ghazal, South Sudan, met in Lokichoggio in August 1998
to act on their mounting concern over the management of nutrition responses
to the current crisis. Signatories to the resulting document (20/8/98)
recognised the substantial efforts already made by agencies to address
the crisis. In particular, the quantity and quality of the WFP general
ration had improved and distributions were now better organised, while
the UNICEF supported measles campaign has reduced mortality risk among
the malnourished. The nutritionists also identified room for
improvement in the OLS (Operation Lifeline Sudan) operations in Bahr-el-Ghazal
in the following areas:
General food distribution
In spite of improvements
in the general ration there was still a need to plug food gaps until
the next harvest at the end of the year and maybe even longer
in some areas. Furthermore, general ration targeting needed to be both
refined and informed by food economy data and information from
NGOs
Selective feeding programming
Concern was expressed regarding
nutritional needs assessment methodologies and the way in which data
are being used. Though recognising that it is difficult to conduct
standard nutritional surveys in the state, the group nevertheless found
worrying the use of the UNICEF/OLS planning figures based on nutritional
data of varying reliability on self selected populations at unrepresentative
sites.
The following methodologies
and activities were considered unacceptable by participants:
· extrapolation of
anthropometric data to the entire state and use of these data to
define feeding programme design at 38 intervention sites,i.e. selective
feeding programme sites were being established without taking account of
variation in need.
· prioritisation
(by implication) of cargo space for Supplementary Feeding Programmes foods
in competition with General Ration foodstuffs, based on inadequate
assessment of impact on existing distribution arrangements and the possibility
that that this might jeopardise the level of general ration distribution.
As the pattern of
malnutrition was believed to be uneven the group urged
that the response should be flexible. Instead of implementing selective
feeding programmes for 38,000 people at pre-identified sites,
participants recommended that OLS:
· increase the general
ration
· consider blanket
feeding for children <5yrs while assessment of critical sites is underway
· increase needs
assessment capacity among staff
· find out where
feeding centre beneficiaries are coming from and determine food and nutrition
needs in those areas
· decentralise and
implement services which will tackle underlying causes of malnutrition
as well as symptoms e.g. water provision and/or mobile health-care
· encourage information
exchange among NGOs, within OLS and others to better inform the whole effort
and to help refine food and nutrition programming in this phase.
Feeding programmes
Standard reporting to an
OLS focal point on process and outcome indicators of each feeding programme
was recommended, so that the progress of all feeding interventions could
be monitored in a standardised manner. Also, before on-site supplementary
feeding is undertaken fully adequate sanitation, water, and hygiene
precautions should be assured.
Exit strategies
It was recommended that
prior to the harvest late this year, discussions should be held with local
farmers, herders, fishers, traders, administrators and other locals on
how best to phase out feeding programmes, and how to establish local emergency
preparedness. In September, the OLS monthly Emergency Nutrition Co-ordination
Meeting, usually held in Nairobi, met in Lokichoggio instead, 21/9/98.
In addition to addressing the above concerns expressed by the nutritionists,
participants also established a task force to review and make recommendations
on nutrition programme quality in South Sudan, following up one of the
recommendations of a recent OLS/SPLA Targeting and Vulnerability Task Force.
We will include reports of these activities in the next issue of RNN.
More information contact:
Judith Appleton,
Senior Nutritionist,
Oxfam, 274 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7DZ, England.
E-mail: jappleton@oxfam.org.uk
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