Reflection paper on nutrition in emergencies

The DG ECHO presented a reflection paper to the Member States of the European Council Working Party on Humanitarian Aid and Food Aid (COHAFA) on 8 June 2010. The document is a strong re-statement of DG ECHO’s commitment to alleviate malnutrition in humanitarian crises, mainly by tackling its immediate causes. It also presents the framework for its interventions. It begins with a reminder of the extent of malnu-trition, and goes on to present DG ECHO’s major thrusts in addressing malnutrition:

• Giving priority to treating both moderate and severe acute malnutrition and addressing micronutrient deficiencies. Emphasis is placed on the importance of the community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM), the value of ready to use therapeutic foods (RUTF), targeting of infants under 2, and especially under 6 months, and the role of women, since women bear the triple burden of malnutrition (social, productive and reproductive).
• A multi-sectoral approach, with actions that are not directly concerned with improving the availability or accessibility of food, such as health, water, sanitation, hygiene.
• Access to adequate, healthy, nutritious food, which can be by food distribution and actions addressing food security and improving living conditions (social transfers, food vouchers, etc.). Indicators measuring the impact of these actions on nutrition need consolidating.
• Two other actions are felt to be decisive but they are not included as entry points of response for ECHO: Improving nutrition information systems (with data other than anthropometric data) and National capacity building.
  
  The document concludes by identifying areas which require the combined forces of humanitarian and development players, including chronic malnutrition in relief situations, nutrition and HIV/AIDS, LRRD and seeking to make humanitarian and development actions consistent and complementary, iv) advocacy (putting nutrition high on the agenda) and v) questions of global governance.

European Commission, DG ECHO - 2010