Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs

The first confirmed COVID-19 case was registered in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on 13 March, 2020. As of 24 August, 6,905 confirmed cases were registered, including 6,232 recoveries and 158 deaths. The lift of the restriction on movement between regions and the curfew, as well as the reopening of the airports for domestic flights approved on 10 July, were interpreted by the population as the end of the pandemic in Mauritania, leading to a lack of respect for barrier measures and a very low level of alerts (-50% of alerts for the call centre). Dedicated efforts have been initiated by the Government and partners with a view to strengthening protection actions, community ICP and RCCE interventions.

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The response plan from the Ministry of Health is currently under revision for the adaptation to the new context of the pandemic. The support provided to the Government by the United Nations and the humanitarian and development partners is coordinated through the Incident Command System (ICS). UNICEF ensures the lead of the “Risk communication and community engagement” (RCCE), including community watch, and “Infection Prevention and Control” (IPC) pillars. In accordance with the INFORM COVID19 Risk Index, Mauritania shows high health and humanitarian impacts risks from COVID19 that could overwhelm current national response capacity, and therefore lead to a need for additional international assistance.