Nutrition funding saves a boy’s life Hussain Ali was too weak to walk when nutrition officers from the International Catholic Migration Commission found him during their routine field visit in Nowshera District in the north-western Pakistan region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where ongoing insecurity has caused humanitarian needs. Ten-month-old Hussain was pale, underweight, malnourished and hardly able to move his hands. After an initial examination, he was referred to basic health unit supported by the International Catholic Migration Commission in Shaidu, a town in Nowshera, for further examination and treatment. The International Catholic Migration Commission had recently received two grants adding up to US$561,856 from OCHA’s Emergency Response Fund (ERF) to implement health and nutrition projects in Nowshera and Charsadda districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. The projects also focused on sensitization of vulnerable communities on disaster risk reduction, gender-based violence and protection. ERF is a mechanism to provide rapid and flexible funds at the onset of an emergency. Hussain’s mother took him the health unit the following day. “My son lies down the whole day. My other children started crawling at this age. He is weak and keeps crying,” his mother told the doctor who examined him. He was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition, chest infection and other related complications. He was treated for chest infection and diarrhoea and was referred to the Nowshera District Headquarters Hospital and to a nutrition stabilization centre in Mardan District for further treatment. Hussain was admitted to the stabilization centre for malnutrition treatment, which included a daily pack of plumpy nut, a peanut-based paste in a plastic wrapper for treatment of severe acute malnutrition. His health and weight improved dramatically within a few days and he was discharged. He is now healthy and playful, which makes his parents happy. “He does not cry all day like he used to,” his mother said. Hussain’s father, a daily labourer and the sole breadwinner for his family of nine, said “Now that I see my son happy and healthy, I praise the efforts of the nutrition workers and thank the doctors who treated him.” Photo Captions: Hussain; suffering from acute diarrhea and chest infection Photo credit: ICMC, date of picture: May 2011, location: BHU Shaidu (Nowshera) Hussain; at the ICMC supported BHU Photo credit: ICMC, date of picture: May 2011, location: BHU Shaidu (Nowshera) Hussain; healthy and sitting in the lap of his father Photo credit: ICMC, date of picture: June 2011, location: BHU Shaidu (Nowshera) A child being examined at one of the ICMCs supported BHUs Photo credit: ICMC, date of picture: September 2011, location: BHU Tarnab (Charsadda) A female doctor examining the girl at ICMC supported BHU Photo credit: ICMC, date of picture: June 2011, location: BHU Shaidu (Nowshera) .