EDITORIAL - Nutrition in emergencies

Nearly eight months after Super Typhoon Yolanda struck, the government is still providing rice to thousands of evacuees and continuing a supplementary feeding program for 13,334 children. As of last month, the Department of Social Welfare and Development had distributed over 4.5 million food packs in Eastern Visayas.

The typhoon victims are likely to need food assistance for several more months. Their plight should give urgency to the focus of the observance of Nutrition Month this July, which is preventing hunger and malnutrition during calamities.

The National Nutrition Council points out that lack of food and proper nutrition during emergencies can lead to serious and potentially fatal illnesses. The most vulnerable are children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the elderly. As the typhoon-hit areas of the Visayas are showing, the lack of food lingers long after disaster strikes.

Nutrition Month is observed at the start of the typhoon season – a good time to increase public awareness of the need to prevent hunger and malnutrition during emergencies. National agencies, local governments and civic groups can work together to increase preparedness for this aspect of disasters.

Experts have identified areas most vulnerable to torrential flooding, landslides and earthquakes. Typhoon Yolanda highlighted the importance of preparedness in dealing with the many natural calamities that hit the country every year. Among the most important aspects of preparedness is ensuring food security not only during an emergency but also in its aftermath.

Recovery in many disaster zones can take several months. Several villages in Mindanao have not yet recovered from the destruction of banana and coconut plantations during a typhoon two years ago. With their principal sources of livelihood gone, the impoverished victims also lack food. Malnutrition leaves them vulnerable to illnesses, and malnourished people cannot work properly.

Many problems emanate from hunger and malnutrition, making it more difficult to cope with calamities. Preparing for food security during emergencies must be given sufficient priority by the government and citizens alike.