Transcript Session 23
MANAGEMENT OF FOOD AND NUTRITION RESPONSES IN EMERGENCY
MoUS RELEVANT TO FOOD/NUTRITION PROGRAMS
UNHCR/WFP:
Intervention mandates, needs assessment, registration, logistics, distribution, monitoring & reporting, coordination mechanisms.
UNHCR/WHO
: cooperation in coordinated contingency planning, development of joint methods for assessing health & nutrition situation, development of guidelines & training materials, development of applied research, & integration of beneficiary health care activities within national (host country) health services.
UNICEF /WFP
: needs assessment, monitoring, & evaluation of services in nutrition, health care, water, sanitation, child protection, & other social services. UNICEF provides therapeutic foods and nonfood items, emergency shelter, nutrition monitoring, & selective feeding operations.
WFP/FAO
: monitor food security & early warning possible food crises; assessment of food situations crises with long-term effects on production & supply; & provision of emergency & recovery needs .
SPHERE 2004 MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION IN EMERGENCIES
Standards available for:
1. Food Security 2. General Nutrition Support & Correction of Malnutrition 3. Food Aid Planning & Management
Food Security Standards
General Food security:
access to adequate & appropriate food & non-food items to ensures survival, prevents erosion of assets and upholds their dignity.
Primary Production:
protected & supported.
Primary production mechanisms are
Income & employment:
Where IGAs & employment are feasible livelihood strategies, people have access to appropriate IGAs to generate income & contribute to food security without jeopardising resources on which livelihoods are based.
Access to markets:
Safe access to market goods & services is protected & promoted
General Nutrition Support and Correction of Malnutrition
•
All Groups:
Nutritional needs of the population are met.
•
At-risk groups:N
utrition & support needs of at-risk grps met •
Moderate malnutrition:
Moderate malnutrition is addressed •
Severe Malnutrition:
Severe malnutrition is addressed.
•
Micronutrient Malnutrition: D
eficiencies are addressed.
Food Aid Planning and Management Standards
Ration planning:
Rations for GFD meet food deficits.
Appropriateness & acceptability:
Food basket items are appropriate & acceptable to recipients & can be used efficiently at hh level.
Food quality & safety:
Food is of appropriate quality & safe for consumption.
Food Handling: S
torage, preparation & consumption are safe & appropriate at all levels.
Supply Chain Management:
Food aid resources managed, using transparent & responsive systems.
Targeting & Distribution
: F/distribution method is responsive, transparent, equitable & appropriate to local conditions
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT “the organization of capacities & resources to meet threats to the lives and well-being of refugees/IDP and other affected populations
Capacities: planning, staffing, structure, systems, procedures, guidelines, information flow, communication, decision-making & support)
Resources: availability of the right resources at the right time
Distinguishing features of management in emergency
•
The lives and well being of people are at stake;
•
Reaction time is short;
•
Risk factors are high & consequences of mistakes or delays can be disastrous;
•
There is great uncertainty;
•
Contingency planning &other preparedness activities are crucial;
•
Staff & managers may be stressed due to, e.g, security problems & harsh living conditions;
•
There is no single obvious right answer
.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS (CONTINGENCY PLANNING)
• • • • •
Steps in contingency planning: 1.
Hazard & risk analysis: list hazards/events that threaten food security and/or implementation of ongoing assistance operations.
2.
Contingency priontization: assess probability & likely outcome of each hazard & select those for which specific plans should be prepared (e.g. the most probable and the worst-case).
3. Scenario building: for each contingency, describe (use assumptions ) likely outcomes & situation that would be faced. 4.
Contingency plan preparation: define what agencies need to do to respond to each scenario and how the response would be organized (see elements) 5. Preparedness actions & updating the plan: take specific actions to enhance preparedness; review analysis & plan(s) regularly, & update when necessary.
Describing a scenario
Make specific planning assumptions:
Location(s)/area(s) that are expected to be affected;
No.& characteristics of people expected to be affected;
Impact on production, markets & access, coping ways;
Likely depletion rate of household stocks;
Period during which assistance may be required;
Assistance actions expected from governments & others;
Availability and capacities of implementing partners;
Expected constraints on logistic/delivery systems;
Security situation and any constraints on movements.
Elements of contingency plan: For each scenario, define: Programme strategy: objectives, beneficiaries, types of intervention, rations & relief needs. Implementation arrangements for: immediate response, assessment, distribution, implementing partners, monitoring and reporting, & external coordination Sources of food: markets, WFP stocks, other agencies Logistic : transport routes, storage & special operations
Telecommunications systems Internal (WFP) management and arrangements for:
offices, staff, transport, training & security
Budget items
KEY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS
Four (4) key functions required of relief agencies & individuals for successful management of emergencies
:
1. Leading, 2. Planning, 3. Organizing and coordinating; 4. Controlling
.
All important not only during emergency response, but also in the preparedness phase
1). Leading :
“Process of creating & communicating a vision for emergency operation, & providing a clear strategic direction for actions even in situations of great uncertainty and risk”.
Someone must make decisions for implementation – the officer in charge (OIC) 2).
Planning :
“setting in place the process of assessing the situation, defining immediate objectives & longer term goals & activities to accomplish them”.
Planning must be based
on detailed needs & resources assessments.
3).
Organizing and Coordinating:
This is
“
establishing systems & mechanisms to achieve : objectives, & coordinating pple & organizations to work together, in a logical way, towards the common objective”.
It involves selecting, training & supervising staff, assigning & clarifying roles & responsibilities & structuring com.& info flow.
4).
Controlling :
This is “monitoring and evaluating performance in comparison with plans and initiating changes where necessary”.
MANAGEMENT IN FOOD AID AND SFPs
1.
Food habits & consumption
Staple food should be culturally acceptable & popn. know & can process & prepare the food . In SFP,
actual consumption
must be checked in order to: •Adapt theoretical calculation of food needs to actual needs •Compare consumption with # of beneficiaries to control cooking & losses of food
2). Food processing :
Flour preferred at f1st stages, or local milling capacity available (ration includes milling cost and losses, ~10 –20. This is not considered in most emergencies!.
3). Quality control and specifications
A system should be in place for quality control to ensure GFD ration is of good quality, safe for human consumption & meets required specifications.
4
). When Commodities are insufficient
These options may be adopted but beneficiaries must be kept fully informed: § -Give equal share to all beneficiaries (i.e. reduce rations); § others; - Give more to most vulnerable & small ration to § - Postpone distribution until enough food is available.
Short term Commodity Substitution
Blended food and beans 1 to 1 Sugar and oil Cereals and beans Cereals for oil
(Not oil for cereals)
2 to 1 2 to 1 3 to 1
Starting & phasing out Selective Feeding Programs Many guidelines exists!
'selective feeding (therapeutic and supplementary) is a low priority & should only be undertaken in a life-threatening emergency once, access to an adequate general ration have been established...' “SFPs are recommended for all vulnerable grps as a preventive measure when GFD rations are inadequate, but priority should be to restore an adequate food supply & that preventive SFPs should only be implemented for a short period of time.
Factors to consider as a guide in SFP:
Nutritional assessment (Anthropometry, crop harvest & nutritional decline in the community)
Access to own food sources (and seasonality)
•
Political and resource factors
Composition of food basket in GFD
GFD ration availability. SFPs not recommended if ration is inadequate due to:
•
Ration dilution because of sharing of food
•
GFD agencies may delay adequate ration, increasing error of inclusion
Registration of beneficiaries
includes:
Identification :
Bracelet #, name, age, sex
,
parents name, address/section of camp/village.
Health indicators :
Admission weight, height, W/H%, clinical signs of maln.(oedema, vitamin deficiencies, etc.), other medical remarks.
Attendance indicators:
Admission, present, absent, defaulter, discharged, death
Calculation of Beneficiaries
GFD
: Use formula for calculating food requirements
Ration (quantity)/person/day g) x Total beneficiaries x Days of planned distribution/1,000,000 = Total MT food required TFP:
Total = Total population <5years x % severe acute malnutrition
Targeted SFP
: Total = Total popn. <5 years x % moderate acute malnutrition
Blanket SFPs
: Depends on vulnerable groups being targeted
Calculation of facilities Max. capacity depends on
: staff levels & skills.
•
TFP
= 1 for every 60-100 malnourished children •
Wet SFP
= 1 for every 250 malnourished children • •
Dry SFP
= 150-200 benef./day of distribution (750 -1000 children/week)
Construction & location:
Should be near health facility using tents or local materials. There should also be adequate safe water supply within the location.
CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTATION & MANAGEMENT OF FOOD AID
•
Security
•
(Political) –Government clearance for areas controlled by rebel movements
•
Weather affecting accessibility of affected populations
•
Adequate capacity (planning, staffing, structure, systems,
procedures, guidelines, information flow, communication,
decision-making and administrative support)
•
Availability of the right resources at the right time.
•
Allocation of food aid for GFD Vs restoring livelihoods
and asset creation