Nutrition in emergencies: WFP experiences and challenges

Food and Nutrition Bulletin

Volumn 27, Issue 1, 2006, Pages 57-66

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Author keywords

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Indexed keywords

MALNUTRITION; MORTALITY; NUTRITION;

EID: 33644961735     PISSN: 03795721     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/156482650602700109     Document Type: Article

References (24)

1. Excess mortality is operationally defined as a crude mortality rate exceeding one death per 10,000 people per day (WHO/UNHCR/IFRCRCS/WFP. 2000. The Management of Nutrition in Major Emergencies. Geneva).
2. Pelletier, D. and E. Frongillo. 2002. Changes in Child Survival Are Strongly Associated with Changes in Malnutrition in Developing Countries. Washington, D.C.: Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance Project.
3. UNICEF, WFP and others. 2002. Facts for Life. New York.
4. Mason, J. 2002. Lessons on nutrition of displaced people. Journal of Nutrition. 132: 2096S-2103S;
5. Toole M., and R. Waldman. 1997. The public health aspects of complex emergencies and refugee situations. Annual Review of Public Health. 18:283-312;
6. Young, H. et al. 2004. Nutrition in Emergencies. The Lancet. Forthcoming 2004.
7. These topics were discussed with key partners in the humanitarian community (including the working group on nutrition in emergencies of the UN/SCN), and with WFP nutrition focal points in several dozen country offices. Constructive comments from UNHCR, UNICEF, and WHO on drafts are gratefully acknowledged.
8. Statistics in this section derive from the IFRCRCS World Disasters Reports for 2001 and 2003, supplemented by data from the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (University of Louvain, Belgium).
9. Recent assessments of excess mortality linked in part to malnutrition and epidemics range from 250,000 in southern Sudan (for 1998/99) to some 3 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2000/01).
10. The Sphere Project. 2004. Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response. Geneva;
11. Collins, S. 2001. Changing the way we address severe malnutrition during famine. The Lancet. 358: 498-501.
12. Adapted from M. Toole (1998) An Overview of Nutrition in Emergencies. Presentation to the Working Group on Nutrition in Emergencies, April 11, Geneva;
13. Mason (2002) ibid.
14. Particularly the SPHERE project's setting of minimum standards and the establishment of other codes of conduct.
15. WHO. 2000. The Management of Nutrition in Major Emergencies. Geneva, p. 91.
16. The review focused on a sample of refugee and/or IDP operations. Those examined were: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burundi, Colombia, Côte D'Ivoire, Djibouti, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guatemala, Guinea, Iran, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Republic of Congo, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uganda and Zambia. In addition, 6 "special" operations were examined separately (not included in the aggregate statistics reported in the text since they do not necessarily include large numbers of refugees/IDPs): namely, Iraq (2002/03), Afghanistan (1999 and 2002), Central America (regional PRRO, 2003-2006), DPRK (2002/03) southern Africa regional EMOP (2002/03), and Venezuela (2000). Discrepancies in reported data were cross-checked with country offices to make comparisons between "planned and actual" as accurate as possible.
17. More than half of the 11 million or so deaths among pre-school children in developing countries each year are associated with malnutrition - in non-crisis situations. In emergencies that share can rise sharply.
18. While some recent emergency responses did not define nutritional objectives beyond protecting lives (Azerbaijan, Iran, and Colombia), more than 85 percent of WFP's emergency responses make a nutrition goal explicit.
19. Note that all kilocalorie values in the text are "per person per day."
20. UNHCR/UNICEF/WFP/WHO 2002. Food and Nutrition Needs in Emergencies. Rome.
21. WHO/UNHCR/IFRCRCS/WFP. 2000. ibid.
22. See "Micronutrient Fortification: WFP Experiences and Ways Forward" (WFP/EB.A/2004/5-A/2).
23. Prudhon, C. 2002. Assessment and Treatment of Malnutrition in Emergency Situations. Paris, France: Action Contre la Faim;
24. Young et al. 2004. ibid.