An Epidemiological Analysis of Malnutrition, Morbidity and Mortality Rates in the Darfur Humanitarian Crisis, Sudan 2003-2005
Muthee, Maina
2007
- Submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree of Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Abstract: This study was funded by the International Food Policy Research Institute through the USAID university linkage program and looked at mortality, morbidity and malnutrition rates in the Darfur conflict and how they were affected by the humanitarian intervention ... read morefrom 2003 through 2005. It also looked at how the intensity and type of humanitarian intervention affected vulnerability among displaced and affected residents as well as the various ways that relief services could have been made more effective in reducing vulnerability to food insecurity. Although the mortality, morbidity and malnutrition surveys were not directly comparable due to differences size, they nevertheless offered an important understanding of the impact of the humanitarian intervention. It was found that global acute malnutrition rates mostly remained high and above emergency thresholds, but severe acute malnutrition rates remained mostly below the emergency threshold, which could have been due to deaths of the most vulnerable children or amelioration of their health (into the global acute malnutrition category or above) attributable to the humanitarian assistance. Abu Shouk camp was studied to showcase the cyclical nature of malnutrition and mortality among children under five in Darfur. During the hunger periods in 2004 and 2005, the camp experienced remarkably high global acute malnutrition and under-five mortality rates, both of which significantly improved after the harvesting season. This was also consistent with the explanation that severely malnourished children either died during the hunger period or the health of surviving children was improved by both the humanitarian assistance and/or increased access to food during the harvesting season. The study found evidence to suggest that the humanitarian assistance intervention was effective in decreasing malnutrition and mortality rates in Darfur once it got under way in February 2004 as there was a general reduction of global acute malnutrition, severe acute malnutrition, crude mortality rates and under-five mortality rates.read less
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