MANAGEMENT OF FOOD AND NUTRITION RESPONSES IN EMERGENCY

1. MANAGEMENT OF FOOD AND NUTRITION RESPONSES IN EMERGENCY

2. 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.

3. 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 .

4. SPHERE 2004 MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION IN EMERGENCIES • Standards available for: • Food Security • General Nutrition Support & Correction of Malnutrition • Food Aid Planning & Management

5. 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: Primary production mechanisms are protected & supported. 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

6. General Nutrition Support and Correction of Malnutrition • All Groups: Nutritional needs of the population are met. • At-risk groups:Nutrition & support needs of at-risk grps met • Moderate malnutrition: Moderate malnutrition is addressed • Severe Malnutrition: Severe malnutrition is addressed. • Micronutrient Malnutrition: Deficiencies are addressed.

7. 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: Storage, 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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. Describing a scenarioMake 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.

12. 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

13. KEY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS • Four (4) key functions required of relief agencies & individuals for successful management of emergencies: • Leading, • Planning, • Organizing and coordinating; • Controlling. • All important not only during emergency response, but also in the preparedness phase

14. 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.

15. 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”.

16. 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!.

17. 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); §         - Give more to most vulnerable & small ration to others; §        - Postpone distribution until enough food is available.

18. Short term Commodity Substitution Blended food and beans 1 to 1 Sugar and oil 2 to 1 Cereals and beans 2 to 1 Cereals for oil 3 to 1 (Not oil for cereals)

19. 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.

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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.

24. 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