Emergency nutrition and food security

Nearly half of deaths in children under 5 are attributable to undernutrition. Humanitarian emergencies resulting from natural disasters, armed conflict and civil unrest increase the risk of death from undernutrition dramatically.

FHI 360 aims to ensure that people affected by crisis have access to the nutrition services and support they need to achieve optimal growth and development. We work with international partners, local governments and communities to enhance emergency preparedness and deliver high-quality emergency assistance, with a focus on the needs of pregnant women and children under age 2.

FHI 360 has long played a central role in the evolution of emergency nutrition and food security policies and practice. Through our Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance III (FANTA) project, we contributed to the development and rollout of community-based therapeutic care and community-based management of acute malnutrition — the gold standard in the treatment of childhood wasting. FHI 360 has also supported the development of emergency assessment and screening tools, such as the use of mid-upper arm circumference for assessing the nutritional status of adolescents and adults and the updating of assessment guidelines for infant and young child feeding in emergencies.

FHI 360 integrates its nutrition and crisis response functions to deliver emergency programs around the world. Our rapidly growing emergency response portfolio includes nutrition activities in Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, northeast Nigeria, Yemen and Ukraine. Infant and young child feeding, women’s nutrition, and management of acute malnutrition are central components of all our emergency response activities.

FHI 360 is an active member of the Global Nutrition Cluster and the Infant Feeding in Emergencies Core Group. You can find further information on FHI 360’s crisis response work here, and nutrition work here.

You are here

Emergency nutrition and food security