Author(s): Balachanthar Satesh, Nor Azazi Zakaria, Lai Kuan Lee
Linked Author(s): Lai Kuan Lee
Keywords: Flood disaster, emergency food aid, energy, nutrition, preparedness.
Abstract: Floods are the most common natural disaster in both developed and developing countries. Categorized as a sudden-onset disaster, flood often creates urgent but temporary food needs. This study aims to develop an emergency food aid plans (EFAPs) for disaster relief via Nutritionist Pro software. The selection criteria of foods used in the emergency food aid plan are as follow: readily available in the market, easily distributed and consumed, culturally feasible, cheap and commonly provided by the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Identified foods include bread, instant noodles, biscuits and low-cost canned foods. The 3-day EFAPs are developed based on two scenarios: (A) water and electricity availability; and (B) congregate feeding. The nutritional compositions of the EFAPs lie within 1900 - 2300 kcal. Optimization analysis identifies menu that addresses nutritional requirements for Malaysian adults for as low as RM7. 52/d (scenario A) and RM5. 81/d (scenario B). This study produces policy-relevant information on the effectiveness and implementation of an emergency food aid approach
Year: 2017