Nakivale (Uganda) : humanitarian aid for malnourished children suspended

The UNHCR has temporarily suspended its assistance to malnourished children and pregnant women. The measure follows the decree of the U.S. president who ordered the suspension of foreign aid programs. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

This is the direct consequence of a series of initial measures taken by the Trump administration. Indeed, U.S. President Donald Trump temporarily suspended the U.S. aid that goes through the USAID fund. The WHO and several humanitarian agencies are suffering greatly from this.

At the Nakivale camp in Uganda, which hosts more than 140,000 refugees of more than ten nationalities, the humanitarian assistance reserved for malnourished children and pregnant and breastfeeding women has been temporarily suspended.

“Normally, children aged less than two years and pregnant women received porridge that concentrates several nutrients including vitamins. Since last week, the activity has been suspended,” laments a medical volunteer who reports that “beneficiaries never tire of coming to the distribution point every morning to see if the measure is lifted.”

At the same time, children suffering from diseases related to chronic malnutrition and premature babies were in principle receiving a batch of milk, in addition to the aid their parents receive. “This category is also affected by these suspensions of humanitarian aid,” we learned.

Medical Team International (MTI), a partner of the UNHCR in this component, explained that the aid it received from the WHO was cut following the measure of the American administration.

Other consequences, the staff of this NGO has been significantly reduced because of “no salary”. An internal source confirms that out of more than 60 employees and volunteers, there are only “less than five” left.

In this camp where food insecurity is at its peak, risks of an increase in cases of malnutrition-related diseases are high according to a medical source.

Another risk that is looming on the horizon is the impact on the fight against infectious diseases, particularly AIDS. This is especially true since in refugee camps such as Nakivale, treatment, screening and prevention services are provided by WHO funding.
Moreover, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) has called on the United States to maintain its funding for foreign aid, saying that this suspension has serious repercussions on global efforts to fight infectious diseases.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made this appeal at a press conference in Switzerland on Wednesday.

Refugees are asking the UNHCR to seek other sources of funding. This happens at a time when the UN Agency was already suffering from budget cuts.