Food and nutrition needs in emergencies

Overview

UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP and WHO have jointly developed these guidelines as a practical tool for assessing, estimating and monitoring the food and nutrition needs of populations in emergencies.

Major food shortages can be a primary feature of an emergency, as in drought or floods that lead to famine, or they may be a consequence of war, economic disaster, or population displacement. The often serious protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies that inevitably follow such shortage add greatly to the burden of disease and mortality, slow - or even impede altogether - socioeconomic recovery, and make intense additional demands on scarce resources.

The guidelines are aimed at field staff involved in planning and delivering a basic general food ration for emergency-affected populations. Their overall aim is to promote timely, coordinated and effective action through improved understanding of food and nutrition needs during emergencies.