Distributing Emergency Food During a Pandemic: Key Considerations and Strategies
In this session, the focus is on the steps involved in emergency food distribution during a pandemic. The objectives include reviewing essential steps, assessing the need for food distribution, stocking nutritious food, prioritizing recipients, and ensuring transparent distribution. Factors such as the level of risk and capacity to respond are discussed in detail to prepare for effective food distribution. Various stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and community organizations, play crucial roles in responding to food shortages.
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Presentation Transcript
Session 5 Distributing Emergency Food During a Pandemic
Todays Objectives To review the seven steps that an emergency food team will need to consider Assess the potential need for emergency food distribution Accumulate nutritious food stocks Properly store food stock prior to distribution Prioritize recipients Determine when it is time to distribute food Safely distribute Maintain transparency
Assessing the potential need for food Two Considerations Level of Risk: How likely is it that your region will experience food shortages during a severe pandemic? Capacity to Respond: How able is the region to respond rapidly and effectively when the pandemic arrives?
Level of Risk Where does your food come from and how reliable are these sources? How much is imported ? How does the food arrive to the wholesale markets or local distributors and how likely is it that these routes can be disrupted? Where are the wholesale distributors located? How does the food get from the wholesale distributors to the retail stores?
Level of Risk What is the size of the population of the municipality and how is it distributed geographically? Where do households normally obtain their food supplies? When is produced food available/ not available to households?
Capacity to Respond Who has prior experience in managing emergency food or similar mass distribution programs? Are they available to help? What financial and human resources does the area have to purchase, store, distribute and manage emergency food supplies?
Capacity to Respond Municipal government agencies Agricultural producers and processors Labor and farmer associations Humanitarian and development NGOs National emergency management agency authorities and leaders Food wholesalers and retail markets Transportation companies/associations Community-based & religious organizations Public security agencies
Capacity to Respond What kinds and quantities of your food are produced and available locally? At what times of the year? What space can be made available for storage and distribution of emergency food supplies? How can transportation be made available to transport food rations? Are there sufficient numbers and types of transportation, vehicles and drivers?
Assessing the potential need for food Level of Risk Capacity to Respond Populations most at Risk
What type of food items should be acquired ? Non-perishables Grains, fats, protein, shelf stable milk, fruits and vegetables, sugar, iodized salt During a pandemic, you may be purchasing or gathering donations of fresh fruits and vegetables. Prevent Waste ! Handle these items carefully and distribute them within a few days.
How much food will we need to acquire? Determined by: Population size Daily number of calories needed 2100 average Existing level of food security and vulnerability Amount of food already present
Nutritional quality of stockpiled food Protein: 10 to 12 percent of the energy in the diet should be in the form of protein (i.e., 52g to 63g of protein per day). Fat/oil: At least 17 percent of the energy in the diet should be in the form of fat (i.e., 40g of fat per day). Micronutrients: Essential micronutrients should also be included, particularly vitamin A (found in vitamin A fortified oil, fortified flour, or fortified sugar) and iodine (found in iodized salt).
Where can we obtain food for emergency distribution? Donations or by direct purchase local food producers packers distributors wholesalers retail markets Why would these groups donate food? Overproduction, inventory control, packaging errors, or changes in product formulas.
The pandemic virus has arrived full force, and there is no surplus food in the community !!! Immediately contact the department level government and any humanitarian aid or development agency working in the region about possible emergency food distribution. Spread critical food security messages through risk/crises communication channels Initiate agreements w/ merchants and food producers
Storing Emergency Food Stocks Warehouses to receive, store and pre- package donated and purchased food stocks Temporary distribution centers Schools Churches Community centers Enclosed markets
Considerations for food storage areas Location should allow for relatively easy distribution No hazardous substances Cool, dry, and well-ventilated Don t store food on the ground First in, First out FIFO Provide security for all food storage spaces and transportation systems
Determining who gets food first When food is in short supply Prioritize !! Classifying Food Security Risk Locations - where Identifying People Most at Risk of Food Insecurity- who
Determining when it is time to distribute food rations If food rations are distributed too early, the community may run out of food before the pandemic wave is over. If food rations are distributed too late, people may die from starvation, or they may migrate to other areas in search of food.
Determining when it is time to distribute food rations Remain constantly alert to key indicators Indicator # 1 - Less food is available in local markets or from local production Indicator #2 Economic systems are disrupted Indicator #3 Each week more people are sick or dying from the influenza. These may happen in any order and may happen all at the same time.
Distributing emergency food rations How much food should be given to each household? Calculate an average food ration for one person based on 2,100 calories per person per day. Multiply the # of people in the HH by the average daily ration. Pre-package food to last each HH for one week. Some HH will only need partial rations
Distributing emergency food rations Sample Daily Ration Ingredients Nutritional Value 400g of cereal/grain 60g of pulses 25 g of oil (Vit. A fortified) 50 g of fortified blended foods (Corn Soya Blend) 15g of sugar 15g of iodized salt Energy 2,100 Kcal Protein 58 g Fat 43g Multiply the # of people in each HH by the average daily ration.
Distributing emergency food rations What type of distribution method should be used? If Social distancing IS NOT in place Existing markets, community centers, NGO pantries, school or church facilities, or other service groups. Prepared meals can be provided through shelters for the homeless and abused persons, community soup kitchens, hospitals and senior centers.
Distributing emergency food rations If social distancing IS in place Small-scale, decentralized drop-off points in neighborhoods HH retrieve their rations on a schedule that avoids lines. Volunteers deliver rations directly to individual households Attendants must practice all NPIs
Maintaining transparency Inform the public about emergency food rations Public awareness campaigns Nutrition education Emergency news bulletins Emergency preparedness materials & events Telephone hotlines
Maintaining transparency Monitoring and reporting make adjustments and changes needed ensure that all those in need are receiving assistance check if the assistance is being used as expected verify that people are not forced to resort to migration in search of food or employment or forced to use negative coping strategies
