Emergency (Nutrition in Emergency)

Emergency nutrition is a specialization for strengthening the training and research capacities of
developing countries to meet nutritional needs solving natural and man-made disasters.

“Emergency” on its own is a relative term rather than referring to a specific set of condition, an
emergency may be defined as any serious disruption of the functioning of a society that exceeds the
ability by means of its own resources.

There are more than 50million people in the world who are affected by war or civil conflicts and
countless others who are affected by floods, droughts, hurricanes and other natural disasters. A
large number of these people depends on external assistance for at least a part of duration of their
displacement. Governments (national, local and bilateral), non-governmental organizations,
international government organization and the United Nations all provide nutritional support to
these population at one time or another.

Also, humanitarian crises increase nutritional risks and often leads to an increase in acute
malnutrition. Emergencies are combination of man-made and natural disasters often of a protracted
nature. The emergency often leads to humanitarian crises which in turn have a negative impact on
the health, hygiene sanitation/care situation for affected population. Acute malnutrition often
increases in the immediate aftermath of an emergency due to high burden of diseases and
independency. Emergency can also have a negative impact on stunting infant and young child
feeding practices, and micronutrient status of vulnerable groups.

HUMANITARIAN PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS

Humanitarian principles includes humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independency. These

principles involved the foundations for humanitarian action. They are central to establishing and
maintaining access to affected people.

The humanitarian principles are derived from the core principles, which have long guided the work
international committee of Red Cross and the national Red Cross/Red Crescent societies.

The first three principle (human neutrality and impartiality) are endorsed in general assembly
Resolution 46/182, which was adopted in 1991. The resolution also established the role of the
Emergency Relief.
Coordinator (ERC), General Assembly resolution 58/114 (2004) added independence as a fourth
key principle underlying humanitarian action. Also, commitment to the principles, has also been
expressed at an institutional level by many humanitarians’ organization.

Humanity: Human suffering must be addressed wherever is found. The purpose of humanitarian
action is to protect life and health and ensure respect for human beings.

Neutrality: Humanitarian actors must not take sides in hostilities or engage congresses of a
political, racial, religion or ideological nature.

Impartiality: Humanitarian action must be carried out on the basis of needed along, giving priority
to the most urgent cases of distress and making no distinctions on the basis of nationality race,
gender religions belief, class or political opinions.

Independence: Humanistic action must be autonomous from the political, economic military or
other objectives that any actor may hold with regard to areas where humanitarian action is being
implemented.

Conclusionally, the humanitarian principles have practical operational relevance humanitarian

action almost always takes place, in complex political and militarized environment. Adherence to
principle is therefore critical in order to distinguish humanitarian action from the activities and
objectives of political, military and other actors.

Humanitarian Standards

Humanitarian standard are statement which describe the actions needed so that people caught up in
crises are able to exercise their right and specifically to receive protection and assistance and to hire
in dignity.

They standards are useful resource for anyone involved in providing assistance and protection.
They can be used to prepare before crises strikes, identify need plan a humanitarian response to
evaluate it. Affected communities can refer to them to understand their own rights and call for
better assistance.

Humanitarian agencies and workers makes a commitment to quality when they app standards in
their works. They also make themselves accountable to the population they serve.

Humanitarian standard partnership

The humanitarian standard partnership (HSP) is a coalition of initiatives of all of which share a
similar approach. They see humanitarian rights developed via inclusive consultations and which
create a broad consensus on best practices. The human standard partnership consists of seven sets of
standards.

- The sphere hard book

- Minimum standards for market analysis
- Child protection minimum standard
- Minimum standards for education
- Livestock emergency guidelines and step
- Humanitarian inclusion standards order people and people with disabilities

Humanitarian accountability in emergency being accountable to communities’ means to respect the

needs conceits, capacities and disposition of those with whom we work and to answer for our action
and decisions including the way we communicate to the affected.

The humanitarian accountability partnership (HAP) established in 2003, seeks to achieve and
promote the highest principles of accountability through self-regulation by members, linked by a
common respect for the rights and dignity of the people they seek to assist.

Importance of Accountability

The unique nature of humanitarian work makes accountability particularly importance for the
following reasons.

Acute needs: People who have survived conflate or natural disasters often have acute needs.
Frequently, they have been displaced from their homes and lack their usual economic, social or
psychological support systems.

Lack of voice: Disease survivors usually lack access to formal procedures for participation in
decisions about assistance. Traditional government structures are weakly to be extremely strained
by the disasters of conflict if they have survived at all, and control recently and complaints systems
in their programmed.

Door-survivor disconnect: Moreover, the people whole choice does influence relief organization
donor government and their citizens- are not recipients of humanitarian aid. Therefore, they any
may not be in good position to judge whether the aid was appropriate or not.

Life and death decisions: Finally, in humanitarian situation the consequence of decision can be
particularly service. For example, a person’s decisions to queue for food distribution (rather than
footage or seek help through private networks) many be a gamble with life or death if the
organization has underestimated the amount of food needed to go around.

Types of Emergencies

- Earthquakes
- Floods
- Home fires
- Heat waves
- Hurricanes
- Landslides
- Power outages
- Thunderstorms

The vulnerable include individuals with physical and mental disabilities, elderly person, pregnant
women children, prisoners, economically disadvantaged mothers, undocumented workers, and
those with language barriers.

Nutrition emergency in Nigeria: The situation-walk in the northeast Nigeria, is affecting the lives