Addressing Hunger and Malnutrition in Times of Calamities

Images of the devastation brought by Super Typhoon Yolanda in November

last year in the Visayas are still fresh in the minds of Filipinos. We watched as the
tragedy unfolded on television how the death toll rose to the thousands! how whole
barangays were demolished! and how the survivors su"ered from malnutrition due
to lac# of available food and the slow arrival of food aid.
$eing prone to typhoons due to its location! the %hilippines may yet again
encounter another super typhoon of the same strength. While we have no way of
avoiding these natural calamities! we can reduce the ris# of disaster by being
prepared. The &uestion then is! how ready are we in responding to such disasters'
Natural calamities such as earth&ua#es and typhoons adversely a"ect the
nutritional status of a"ected residents. The aftermath of Yolanda highlighted the
main problems food production is halted! access to ade&uate food becomes
di(cult! food preparation practices and food safety are compromised! food
distribution and mar#eting networ#s collapse! health care and sanitation services
brea# down and even relief operations are hampered by the virtual disappearance
of transportation systems.
Such disruption to normal life results in hunger and malnutrition! the e"ects
of which include increased vulnerability to illness! increased complications and in
very e)treme cases even death. In emergency situations! the response of the
government tends to focus on delivery of food aid. The &uality of food rations is
often neglected.
*lso! while relief goods are crucial for saving lives in the short term they do
not address the underlying causes of malnutrition. Victims of calamities cannot rely
forever on food aid for survival. In the long term! government assistance is re&uired
to ensure people+s access to safe and nutritious foods by helping rebuild farms!
poultries and other means of local food production.
The celebration of Nutrition ,onth -./0 with the theme Kalamidad
Paghandaan: Gutom at Malnutrisyon Agapan is a good opportunity to reassess the
country+s preparedness in responding to the challenge of providing nutritious food
aid during natural calamities to avoid widespread hunger and malnutrition in such
emergencies.