Sudan

3.6 Nutrition

PEOPLE IN NEED
4.7M
PEOPLE TARGETED
1.9M
REQUIREMENTS (US$)
350.1M
PARTNERS
28

SUMMARY OF NEEDS

Sudan is among the top four countries in the world with the highest prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM), with an estimated 13.6 percent. The nutrition outlook is expected to deteriorate in 2024 due to ongoing conflict, food security decline, compromised health and WASH services, and prolonged displacement. The 2024 PiN is projected to rise by 10 and 30 per cent in non-IDP and frontline localities respectively, surpassing 4.7 million, the highest ever estimated in Sudan.

Around 76 per cent of acutely malnourished under-five children, pregnant and lactating women reside in 103 localities. Micronutrient malnutrition is prevalent, with 48 per cent of under-five children experiencing anaemia due to iron deficiency. Minimum dietary diversity among under-fives is low at 25 per cent, further exacerbated by massive displacement disrupting feeding and caregiving practices.

Primary needs in the nutrition cluster are multi-fold, namely (i) preventive nutrition interventions focusing on maternal and young child nutrition; (ii) detection and treatment of acute malnutrition; (iii) management of small and nutritionally at-risk infants (MAMI); (iv) micronutrient supplementation; (v) food and non-food nutrition interventions; (vi) evidence generation through assessments and analyses; (vii) rehabilitation of nutrition infrastructure; and (viii) capacity strengthening.

RESPONSE STRATEGY

The Nutrition Cluster aims to scale up treatment and preventive nutrition interventions by expanding service sites, prioritizing areas with high burden and low coverage in both host communities and IDP camps (or camp-like settings) and areas with high intersectoral severity. The cluster will promote non-food prevention measures and strengthen cluster coordination. To ensure efficiency, core supplies will be procured by lead agencies (UNICEF, WFP and WHO) for distribution.

The cluster targets 2 million malnourished children under-five years, PLW/Gs, including cases of SAM. Targeting is based on strict criteria, including individual nutrition assessments. An additional 6 million children under-five years and 1.7 million PLWs will receive nutrition services, but these figures are not included in the cluster’s PiN. Response modalities include static sites, integrated mobile teams, and cross-border response in hard-to-reach areas and integrated nutrition screening and micro-nutrient supplementation campaign. Cash transfers are also under consideration for specific groups.

TARGETING & PRIORITIZATION

The nutrition response for 2024 will focus on six key areas:

  1. Prioritizing the youngest and most vulnerable children with the highest mortality risk.
  2. Providing life-saving preventive and protective nutrition package.
  3. Treating SAM cases with medical complications.
  4. Treating SAM cases without medical complications among children under-five years.
  5. Implementing non-food and food-based malnutrition prevention programs.
  6. Generating evidence for planning, advocating for resources and decision-making

The cluster categorized localities into priority levels based on criteria including high severity needs (for Health, WASH and FSL), acute malnutrition rates – global acute malnutrition (GAM) of 15 per cent – and overall burden to ensure effective targeting.

PROMOTING QUALITY & INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING

The cluster’s response plan was developed in consultation with key national nutrition officials, while local actors will participate in planning, implementing, and monitoring nutrition projects. Budgets for monitoring and supervision will be included. National nutrition partners including authorities and technical working groups will guide the overall nutrition response.

Partners will be trained on five AAP elements and use complaint and feedback mechanisms. Complaints/feedback received will be analysed, and a hotline/call centre will be set up. Sub-national focal points will oversee AAP implementation. Each partner must maintain a complaint and feedback mechanism. Training on PSEA and victim-centred approaches as well as GBV referral pathways will be provided to all partners.

COST OF RESPONSE

The Cluster requires $350.1 million to fund planned activities. Over two-thirds of this budget goes towards treating acute malnutrition in children under-five and pregnant or lactating women. Insecurity, high operational costs and other considerations (access and operational capacity) limit the cluster from targeting more malnourished children in need of preventive and treatment interventions compared to previous years. Procuring core supplies through lead partners reduces individual procurement expenses.

References

  1. These account for 54 per cent of all localities in Sudan. These localities are most affected, with severity scale classified at 3,4 and 5 for WASH, Health, and Food Security, and where acute malnutrition is above national average, and the GAM prevalence is higher than the emergency threshold of 15 per cent defined by WHO.
  2. Refer to the preventive intervention package in sector Objective 1.
  3. Defined as above national average cases of SAM with and without medical complications and moderately malnourished under-five and PLWs.