Estimating a population’s food needs and creating a ration are insufficient measures in and of itself to ensure that demands are met in an emergency. First and foremost, a monitoring system must be built to guarantee that any ration shortfalls are recognized as soon as possible.
Second, a policy should be in place that outlines steps to be taken in the event of food shortages or insufficient rations.
Third, because access to food can change dramatically over time, and the opportunities for obtaining food through the population’s own means vary greatly between situations, it is critical to establish strong links between food aid and the potential for food production from the beginning of the emergency. A general food-distribution program is typically monitored on four levels.:
- Food pipeline and supply
- Food-distribution process
- Community-level
- Household-level
Let’s discuss what each level entails.
- Food pipeline and supply
Pledges, shipments, delivery to the camps, and warehouse stock are all considered at the resourcing level. Reports and record checks are used to do this (e.g., waybills, logbooks, etc.).
- Food-distribution process
Monitor the distribution system’s actual organization: frequency, distribution site locations, registration and ration card availability, and food-basket monitoring.
- Community-level
Keep track of how much food is used, sold, and exchanged, as well as how this affects the incidence of protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. To assess all causes of malnutrition, connect with a health monitoring system.
- Household-level
To learn about people’s food access, preparation, and consumption habits, as well as infant feeding practices and women’s perceptions of food quality and value. The importance of community and family monitoring in establishing the appropriateness of the general ration and its nutritional impact is particularly important.
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