Technical Guidance → Nutrition in emergencies

Nutrition in emergencies

Severe shortages of food combined with disease epidemics lead to malnutrition and ‘nutrition emergencies’.
Access to sufficient food of adequate nutritional value is critical to survival, particularly for the most vulnerable.  

Malnutrition

  • Malnutrition is a serious public health problem and a major contributor to mortality and morbidity. It covers a range of conditions resulting from inadequate diet and/or infection. 
  • Chronic or long-term malnutrition causes irreversible stunted growth. 
  • Acute malnutrition or ‘wasting’ (thin individuals) is of particular concern in emergencies as it can quickly lead to death. 
  • Micronutrient deficiencies contribute to malnutrition, especially iron, vitamin A and iodine deficiencies (common in disadvantaged populations) and vitamin C, thiamine and niacin (outbreaks may occur in emergency-affected populations).  
Vulnerability to malnutrition Measures to prevent and correct malnutrition
Is governed by:
  • Geographical vulnerability e.g. drought or flood-prone or conflict affected areas.
  • Political vulnerability e.g. oppressed persons
  • Displaced /refugee populations with limited resources. 
  • Physiological vulnerability and nutritional needs e.g.

- low birthweight babies
- 0-24-month-old children
- pregnant and lactating women
- older people, the disabled and people with chronic illness
- people living with HIV and AIDS  

Asia has the highest rates of acute malnutrition, is particularly prone to natural disaster and has historically suffered the most severe famines.
  • Conduct nutrition assessments at the onset of an emergency (including assessment of pre-existing conditions) and conduct on-going assessment and monitoring.
  • Understand the causes, type, degree and extent of malnutrition and select the most appropriate responses. 
  • Address the nutritional needs of the general population and special needs for groups at risk.
  • Consider targeted supplementary feeding to address moderate malnutrition and prevent severe malnutrition. 
  • Food responses include: general food distribution, emergency school feeding, food-for-work, supplementary feeding, micronutrient fortification of food, food supplementation and therapeutic care.
  • Non-food responses include: support for livelihoods, infant and young child feeding and health interventions.

 

Nutrition and food aid  

Food aid remains the dominant form of response to nutrition emergencies. Care is needed to ensure that it does not undermine locals markets and livelihoods.

  • Use general food rations to bridge the gap between the food requirements and available food resources of the affected population.
  • Ensure that food items are appropriate and acceptable to recipients, fit for human consumption, and able to be used efficiently at household level.
  • Make allowance for the safe transport, storage and preparation of food at household and community level

 

This page was last updated on 8 July 2011