Emergency Food Distribution in Madagascar

The Integrated Food Security Classification agency (IPC) projected that 22% of Anosy region population, about 213,595 people, would be in a food crisis between April 2023 and June 2023; a situation resulting from poor weather conditions, drought, dwindling harvests, stocks and food price inflation.  SEED Madagascar responded to this crisis through the implementation of the Emergency Food Distribution programme, supporting families with children five years and below suffering from moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The programme was implemented in two rounds (iii and iv) of 60 days each between October 2022 and March 2023, targeting eight health centers in five communities in the southern region of Fort Dauphin.

SEED trained community health workers to detect MAM and SAM. Families with children detected with either form of malnutrition received two parcels of unprepared food. Those with MAM received an additional ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF), a homebased treatment consumed as part of a wider diet. while children with SAM were referred to their local health centres to receive appropriate treatment.

In total, 29,300 kilograms of rice, 19,668 cups of beans, and 4,560 litres of oil were distributed to support 894 families with malnourished children. A total of 52,380 sachets of RUSF were distributed to 873 children diagnosed with MAM.  SEED is very excited to report 100% recovery of the children with either MAM or SAM during the 60-day implementation period, of each round of the programme. In addition, SEED Supported the community health centres (CSB), to implement Advanced Strategy for Proximity Care campaigns, bringing health services to populations situated far from the CSBs.

SEED played a crucial role in protecting the lives of 1,338 malnourished children and their families, through provision of RUSF, unprepared food parcels and targeted information sessions. SEED’s work has only been possible through the support of donors and partnerships with local based institutions.

The food security situation in southern Madagascar has sadly deteriorated with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) projecting 22% of the population in the Anosy region (213,595 people) will be in a food crisis (IPC 3) between April and July 2023. In response, we continue to implement a community-centred food distribution programme. 

Working with 18 local health centres, and 95 communities across five rural communes in the Fort Dauphin District of southeast Madagascar, SEED continues working to improve the immediate health and long-term resilience of malnourished children and their families. 

In February SEED began its sixth (VI) round of emergency food distribution in the northern regions of Fort Dauphin, currently supporting 386 children and their families. Over the course of round V, completed in December, SEED supported an further 467 children with modern acute malnutrition  (MAM) and the families of 32 children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM), distributing 28,020 sachets of ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF),alongside parcels of unprepared food for households. In April, we completed round IV in the southern region of Fort Dauphin, supporting 382 children and their families with MAM and 13 children with SAM. The project distributed 22,920 sachets of RUTF, again, alongside parcels of unprepared food for households. 

The project continues to strengthen health systems in the communities through training and working with 190 community health workers,facilitating technical clinical training to 28 health centre midwives, and improving health centre WASH infrastructure. 

Thanks to our amazing supporters we celebrate the recent success of SEED’s ’24-in-24’ campaign, raising £24,000 in 24 days, enabling the programme to continue. Thanks to these funds, SEED is now ready to implement round V, the final round of food distribution in the south sites, continuing to support malnourished children and their communities.