KIGALI – United Nations agencies and NGO partners have scaled up their response to Burundian refugee food and nutrition needs, and specifically tackle malnutrition among children under five years. The general food distribution with nutrient-rich fortified food and supplementary feeding provided by UN partners has helped to deal with acute malnutrition rate which is high at 14 percent among children under five years.
Rwanda is currently hosting over 42,000 Burundian refugees in the reception centres and Mahama camp; half of all refugees are children. Children with severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening condition, receive specialised ready-to-use nutritious food to help them recover. Refugees may have travelled days without food and arrived in the country acutely malnourished.
“We are committed to ensuring the overall protection of refugees, and to provide assistance while maintain their dignity. Food and nutrition security is of course critically important and we are committed to improving the nutrition situation of all refugees, especially the most vulnerable,” said Saber Azam, UNHCR Representative in Rwanda.
Upon arrival at the border crossings, refugees receive a ration of high energy biscuits, while acutely malnourished children receive ready-to-use food – specialized nutritious food to help them recover. UN agencies and NGO partners provide food rations to refugees and provide treatment for acutely malnourished children in reception centres and in Mahama camp. Additional blanket supplementary feeding is provided to all young children under five years, with a hot daily meal of a nutrient-rich porridge to prevent further deterioration of their nutritional status. All food commodities are provided by WFP thanks to the support of generous donors. Also, Vitamin A supplementation and distribution of deworming tablets have been carried out. The goal is to prevent and treat malnutrition in order to improve the nutrition levels of all refugees in the camp.
Despite the significant reduction of acute malnutrition, the excessively high rates of chronic malnutrition in children remains of great concern, which causes stunting, with one in two refugee children affected. A recent UN nutrition survey also indicated that three out of five children are anaemic, an indication of micronutrient deficiencies. Both stunting and micronutrient deficiencies can cause serious growth and health problems, making children more susceptible to illness. In the most extreme cases, it can be fatal. Micronutrient fortified food has been introduced in the general food distribution at the camps to ensure that there are adequate nutrients in the refugee ration for the whole household. This approach seeks to address all forms of undernutrition so that children can recover, grow and play.
“Refugees’ food and nutritional needs are responded to, at the right time and with the right products. One of our key priorities is to make sure that a maximum number of Burundi refugee children are reached through our twice a day supplementary feeding activities” said Frederic Auger, Country Director of the American Refugee Committee (ARC).
Active UN Agencies in the food and nutrition sector include UNHCR, the UN World Food Programme, UNICEF and the World Health Organisation. Critically important NGO partners in this sector include American Refugee Committee, Adventist Development and Relief Agency, African Humanitarian Action, Concern and the Rwandan Red Cross. All partners are on the ground in the new transit camp at Mahama and the three reception centres to ensure that food and nutrition assistance is provided to Burundian refugees, starting as soon as they cross the border.
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