Recommendations on how to meet emergency food and nutrition needs in disaster preparedness

Despite the increasing frequency and severity of disasters, guidance to address emergency food and nutrition needs is limited. However, existing literature offers ideas on how to effectively address emergency food and nutrition assistance.

A position paper recently published by the Society for Nutrition Education and Behaviour (SNEB) Journal of Nutrition Education and BehaviorIt states that in order to effectively recover from and build resilience to disasters, it is essential that affected individuals and communities have access to safe, nutritious, culturally and contextually appropriate food and beverages and receive emergency food and nutrition education before, during and after a disaster.

“Disasters limit survivors’ ability to access sufficient, safe, and nutritious food and beverages. These challenges are even more problematic for communities that face inequitable access to retail food outlets and safe drinking water prior to a disaster. Even if a retail food outlet is accessible, culturally and contextually appropriate food and beverages may not be available or affordable,” explained lead author Sheila Fleischhacker, Ph.D., JD, RDN, Georgetown University.

The position paper has drawn extensively from a variety of sources including research articles, studies and other relevant materials on disaster relief programs and their effectiveness. These sources have provided extensive insights into various aspects of disaster response and recovery efforts including, but not limited to, evaluating existing relief initiatives, assessing their effectiveness and identifying best practices.

This opinion piece synthesizes findings from a wide range of academic and practical sources to enhance our understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced in meeting emergency food and nutrition needs during disasters.

The position paper recommends a multifaceted approach to improve emergency-related food and nutrition education across all phases of disaster management. Recommendations include improving communication and outreach by identifying and disseminating best practices adapted to diverse cultural contexts. It also includes encouraging community participation and locally driven preparedness, compiling community needs, building local capacity, and emphasizing nutrition considerations within disaster preparedness initiatives.

Educating current professionals and the next generation of public health leaders includes integrating emergency nutrition components into interdisciplinary disaster management curricula, emphasizing principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Collectively, these recommendations aim to strengthen disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts by embedding food and nutrition considerations in research, policy, and practice.

Disasters are increasing in frequency, duration and intensity, frequently disrupting food systems and increasing food insecurity, particularly affecting historically underserved communities.

While nutrition emergencies often receive insufficient attention, initiatives should seek to improve food and nutrition security during disaster response and recovery. During all phases of a disaster, those involved in these efforts can play an important role in emphasizing the importance of nutrition education and other interventions to promote healthy eating habits.

“While nutrition emergencies are understudied, emerging efforts are working to advance food and nutrition security during disaster response and recovery,” Dr. Fleischhacker commented. “Before, during, and after disasters, those involved in this work and other allies can help elevate the importance of nutrition education and other strategies to promote healthy dietary behaviors through research, policy, and practice.”