WFP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific - 2016 SPRs RBB 2016 SPRs by project type | Page 770

Standard Project Report 2016
In March 2017, CARE, together with the Ministry of Health, will conduct a simple evaluation of the project, using key
informant interviews and focus group discussions with community members who were provided with the SNF and
counselling. The evaluation aims to ensure accountability in the distribution of SNF, as well as the effectiveness of
information and health promotion events. WFP will also present results to the United Nations Humanitarian
Coordination Team in March 2017.
Results/Outcomes
The project was successful in distributing specialised nutritious food (SNF) to approximately one-third of the
pregnant and lactating women (PLW) and children aged 6-23 months planned in 2016. In December, Plumpy'Doz
was distributed to 3,425 children and Timor Vita to 963 PLW; this was less than the project target as a result
of delays in the production of Timor Vita and the delayed arrival of Plumpy'Doz. As a result, instead of commencing
food distribution in October, this was delayed until mid-December.
Through the emergency operation, WFP detected high rates of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and acute
malnutrition using middle-upper-arm-circumference measurements (MUAC); a large proportion of PLW were found
to be acutely malnourished (27 percent or almost a third of the women screened), and 11 percent of children were
found to be suffering from MAM. Lautem municipality had the highest rates, with 15 percent of children found to
have MAM (using MUAC) as compared to just under 4 percent of children found to have MAM as measured by
weight-for-height according to the 2013 Timor-Leste Food and Nutrition Survey (TLFNS). While 38 percent of PLW
in Viqueque municipality were found to be acutely malnourished measured using MUAC, only 21.3 percent were
found to be malnourished as measured by body mass index (BMI) according to the 2013 TLFNS. These results
could indicate an increase in acute malnutrition rates in these three municipalities since the 2013 survey. This
emergency programme did not provide treatment for MAM or acute malnutrition, and could only provide referrals to
local health clinics as there was no treatment programme running in this part of Timor-Leste. However, the data
collected through this operation will be used to advocate with the Ministry of Health to scale-up the treatment
programme to cover all 13 municipalities in the country.
The component of the project which aimed to raise awareness around the importance of dietary diversity for young
children, infants, and PLW, was mostly not conducted by non-governmental organization (NGO) partners as a result
of difficulties in organising these events without the simultaneous provision of SNF. The delay in the arrival of the
SNF in-country and consequently to the health facilities meant that NGO partners delayed holding
mobilisation events until the future arrival date of the SNF could be confirmed. However, awareness raising
sessions were conducted with village leaders, and voluntary health promoters were trained on how to conduct more
activities in Baucau municipality. In addition, one partner, Cinema Loro'sae, successfully held community events by
screening films about nutrition in 15 sucos (villages), and reached several thousand community members in
one municipality of Lautem.
Progress Towards Gender Equality
Gender engagement—the engagement of both male and female community members and caregivers—was an
important component of the project. In Timo