Between August 2024 to July 2025, approximately 425,637 children aged 6-59 months are facing/expected to face elevated levels of acute malnutrition in 26 provinces, 18 municipalities and one region. The number of cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is expected to be 110,308. As for pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW), nearly 40,000 are likely to suffer acute malnutrition in the same period. 

In the current period of August 2024 to January 2025 (peak of acute malnutrition), three municipalities are classified in Critical (IPC AMN Phase 4), ten communes and ten provinces are identified as being Serious (IPC AMN Phase 3).

Over the first projected period of February to April 2025, an improvement is expected, with five provinces and two communes moving from Phase 3 to IPC AMN Phase 2 (Alert). Only one municipality is likely to experience a deterioration, moving towards Phase 3.

The nutritional situation is expected to deteriorate further in the second projection period from May to July 2025, with 12 provinces in the South-West region likely to move to a higher IPC AMN phase.

The key contributing factors of acute malnutrition in the areas analysed include low food diversification and high prevalence of children morbidities, particularly in the South-West, Plateau Central, Cascades and Sahel. Diarrhoea (up to 27 percent in some areas) and respiratory infections (between 5.9 percent and 36.9 percent) are associated with limited access to health services, poor food and care practices, poor hygiene conditions and sanitation (inaccessibility to sanitation facilities) and reduced access to drinking water.

Short-term response priorities

• Support the feeding of vulnerable households;
• Strengthen early childhood feeding practices, especially in areas with high security challenges;
• Strengthen the implementation of prevention, early detection and management of acute malnutrition programmes (MAS, MAM): JVA+, ANJE, PCIMA; 
• Strengthen surveillance to monitor diseases with epidemiological potential; 
• Regularly transport drugs, nutritional inputs and other consumables to high-risk areas;
• Strengthen the operational capacity of advanced health stations;
• Strengthen nutrition education activities among the population;
• Strengthen the number of health workers in IDP health facilities;
• Ensure a regular supply of health facilities and nutritional inputs for the management of acute malnutrition;
• Strengthen measures to prevent morbidity (diarrhoea and fever) and diseases with epidemic potential (measles);
• Strengthen community-based Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (ICMP) in hard-to-reach areas;
• Strengthen the skills of providers on emergency topics (ANJE-U, nutrition in emergency situations, management of stress; cross protection, etc.;
• Provide psychosocial support to internally displaced persons (IDP)

Long and medium term

• Strengthen nutrition monitoring (close assessments) in hard-to-reach areas with high levels of acute malnutrition;
• Strengthen actions to prevent malnutrition (humanitarian aid);
• Rehabilitate vandalized health facilities;
• Strengthen the operational capacity of advanced health stations;
• Strengthen nutrition education activities among populations;
• Ensure food security for vulnerable populations (children, FEFA, IDPs...);
• Strengthen resilience actions through the development of AGR and dry season activities for households vulnerable;
• Improve access to improved sanitation facilities;
• Continue to strengthen community health through the deployment of VN/ASBC;