Healthy, Non-Perishable Food Rations: Their Design and Transport

An Annoted Bibliography by Mahalia Miller

18 September 2005

Cambridge, MA USA

American red cross facts and figures. (2005). Retrieved 17 September, 2005 from https://www.redcross.org/news/in/tsunamis/facts.html

This Red Cross page details the expenditures of the first 6 months of tsunami relief. Also, it states that more than 2 million people were helped. Interesting to the study of food rations, is the fact that food costs were the biggest expenditures. Also, cooking kits that were distributed were essential in restoring people's lives.

American red cross/ world food program photo essay of tsunami rations. (2005). Retrieved 17 September, 2005 from http://www.redcross.org/news/photoessays/tsunami05/six/

This short Photo Essay shows stunning photos of tsunami victims. The subjects are recipients of American Red Cross and World Food Program food rations. This page provides well-composed pictures for presentation.

American red cross: Emergency response phase. (2005). Retrieved 17 September, 2005 from http://www.redcross.org/news/in/tsunamis/emergency.html

This page shows an overview of the emergency response of the Red Cross. It also links to a timeline with milestones. The number of people who received food, vaccinations, and cooking kits could help with estimations for future tsunami relief efforts.

American red cross: Tsunami food. (2005). Retrieved 17 September, 2005 from https://www.redcross.org/tsunamirelief/food/

This page is a very brief overview of the American Red Cross' effort to bring food to those affected by the 2004 Tsunami. It is useful since it shows the number of people assisted and the length of food supplies. Also, it says that malnutrition makes children much more susceptible to diseases.

World food programme: Annual report 2004(2005). No. Report 2004). Rome, Italy: Communications Division; World Food Programme.

This report details the World Food Programme actions during 2004. This report is very significant since it contains the logistics information of feeding the tsunami victims. Also, Peru suffered a cold period during 2004 in which the WFP helped poor women and children in particular with work-for-food programs.

FEMA: Emergency food and water supplies. (2004). Retrieved 17 September, 2005 from http://www.fema.gov/library/emfdwtr.shtm

The Federal Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the American Red Cross published a guide with suggestions on safe food and water during emergencies. The site has numerous ways of treating water since the authors maintain that while food can be rationed, water cannot. Likewise, it suggests avoiding salty or high fat foods so as not to need more water. Particularly applicable to the topic of food rations are the shelf lives of numerous staples. Also, according to the authors, each person needs per month: Wheat--20 pounds, Powdered Milk (for babies and infants)*-- 20 pounds, Corn--20 pounds, Iodized Salt--1 pound, Soybeans--10 pounds, and Vitamin C**--15 grams.

High-energy, nutrient-dense emergency relief food product(2002). In Subcommittee on Technical Specifications for a High-Energy Relief Ration, Committee on Military Nutrition Research, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. (Ed.), . Washington, D.C. , U.S.: National Academy Press.

A most relevant book to the task of non-perishable food rations, this report analyzes emergency relief food products (EFP). The rations should last at least three years. They prioritized EFP characteristics as follows: safe, palatable, easy to deliver, easy to use, and nutritionally complete. This book is rather complete in its analysis, making suggestions to USAID, for example, to use simple flavors and avoid animal and alcohol products.

FAO training course on group feeding programmes for southeast asia. (1977). Bombay, India,

This pamphlet describes a training course held in Bombay to prepare trainers to improve the nutritional status of the population. Numerous lecturers with years of experience shared their advice. One speaker, Godrej Colony, advised dividing emergency feeding into general feeding of less than 1800 cal/day, vulnerable group additional feeding, and then "treatment feeding" of severely malnourished children. This pamphlet is useful to the topic of food rations since it contains field experiences.

Management handbook to aid emergency expansion of dehydration facilities for vegetables and fruits(1959). . Albany, CA: U.S Department of Agriculture, Western Utilization Research and Development Division.

Drawing from WWII experience, this publication of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the U.S. Army, explains the specifics of parts and supplies needed to build dehydration facilities. Also, it outlines the storage and lifespan of dried vegetables and fruits. This handbook is useful in the study of food rations since dried ingredients are easily stored in preparation for emergerency food supplies.

Eade, D., & Williams, S. (1995). Oxfam handbook of development and relief: Volume 2. Oxford, UK: Oxfam.

This general guide by Oxfam, a British NGO active in humanitarian assistance, focuses on health and emergencies. The guide has numerous practical considerations in Chapter 7 applicable to food rations. For example, Oxfam believes that relief should be only the bear minimum and should include food-for-work components. Also, they feel that foods bought in the region are preferable to international food aid.

Edkins, J. (2000). Whose hunger? concepts of famine, practices of aid. Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.: University of Minnesota Press.

This book covers the political and moral issue concerning food ration distribution. Supplies are seldom delivered fairly and this often causes political turmoil. The author takes the position that famines are problems that modern social and natural science can solve. She also addresses the issue of responsibility and blame for problems. These discussions help address the inherent complexity of one group supplying another group with food after a disaster.

Ismail, S., & Pieterse, S. (2003). Nutritional risk factors for older refugees. Disasters, 27(1), 16-36.

This study focuses on the particular problem of older recipients of food rations. The authors study older Rwandan refugees and note that they are often more malnourished than children. Interestingly, the study found relief workers out of touch with the elderly needs, attributing the malnutrition to social causes. This report recommends an awareness of this problem and the adoption of lone elderly by other families. Also useful to the study of food rations is the fact that the Rwandan recipients were hesitant to use many of the food rations because of their cultural unacceptability. Wholegrain maize, for example, was seen as only chicken feed.

Kuroiwa, J. (1994). Tsunami studies and their application to peru's socio-economic development and emergency planning. In Y. Tsuchiya, & N. Shuto (Eds.), Tsunami: Progress in prediction, disaster prevention and warning (1 ed.) (pp. 323-336). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

This article contains the results of evacuation drills in Callao. It found that supervising and evaluating drills improves subsequent exercises. Also, specialists have held microzonation studies which produce multiple hazard maps. This information could be helpful for food ration distribution since it would show where food would most likely be most needed.

Masefield, G. B. (1967). Food and nutrition procedures in times of disaster. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

This guide scientifically analyzes emergency food procedures. It offers advice based on experience and divides disasters into short-term, mid-term and long-term. The book describes actions to prepare for disasters such as grain storage, appointment of Relief Commissioner whose job it would be to oversee efforts and coordinate relief forces, and printing ration coupons. Then, the book delves into relief particulars. The guide advises that for short-term emergencies calorie content is much more important than nutritional value. It gives an overview of ration needs and mass feeding procedures.

Meesook, K. (1995). IMF economic reviews: Marshall islands and federated states of micronesia. Washington, D.C. , U.S.: International Monetary Fund, Publication Services.

This impartial report evaluates the economic situation of the Marshall Islands and Micronesia. It analyzes the regional development, exports, imports, and employment. Particularly relevant are the details of the already well-established American aid program in conjunction with military sites on Micronesia. Also, the exportation of foods such as "copra, root crops, and fruits and vegetables" is of critical importance to Micronesia.

Ninno, C. d., Dorosh, P., Smith, L., & Roy, D. (2001). The 1998 floods in bangladesh : Disaster impacts, household coping
strategies, and response No. 122). Washington, D.C. , U.S.: International Food Policy Research Institute.

This report summarizes the food situation in Bangladesh after the devastating 1998 floods. Plentiful are graphs and charts documenting food production and consumption. The report shows how the majority of toddlers experienced stunted growth due to the shortage of food. The report shows the dire situation of the people. Also included are coping strategies with a lack of food such as borrowing money, skipping meals, and selling all assets. Near the end are charts showing who did in fact receive food relief rations.

Okazaki, S., Shibata, K., & Shuto, N. (1994). A road management approach for tsunami disaster planning. In Y. Tsuchiya, & N. Shuto (Eds.), Tsunami: Progress in prediction, disaster prevention and warning (1 ed.) (pp. 223-234). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

This scholarly article studies the roads of the threatened Sanriku coast. It suggests substitute roads, on-foot evacuation of residents, and especially communicating with drivers. This information could be used in future by suggesting that people evacuating on foot or using buses to reduce congestion. Also, less congestion could let emergency food reach victims.

Shuto, N. (2001). Traffic hindrance after tsunamis (note: Includes golden 24 rule). In G. Hebenstreit (Ed.), Tsunami research at the end of a critical decade (1 ed.) (pp. 65-74). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

This journal article describes the "Golden 24" Rule-the greatest percentage of survivors is saved in the first 24 hrs after a disaster. It shows 85 examples from 11 tsunamis of road hindrances and what can be learned so that emergency help can get to victims as soon as possible. Food rations fit into the Golden 24 rule. Also, roads are most essential for delivery of food.

Sklaver, B. (2003). Humanitarian daily rations: The need for evaluation and guidelines. Disasters, 27(3), 259-271.

This study focuses on humanitarian daily rations. In particular the author says that although more than 10 million HDRs have been distributed in the last ten years, neither end-user studies nor practical guidelines have been published. The author intends to make this technical analysis, but the paper is too brief to accomplish this goal. Nonetheless it provides a good overview of the problems of HDRs. It shows the problems in the "food bomb" dropping, cost-efficiency, and culture appropriateness, as well as typical contents. Thus, this paper is helpful in its analysis of the problems of food ration distribution and content.

Smith, C. (1995). Angels from the sea : Relief operations in bangladesh. Washington, D.C. , U.S.: History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S.

This book by the Marine Corps focuses on relief efforts after a 1991 cyclone in which 139,000 Bangladesh people died. Operation Sea Angel initially consisted of transporting available food and most importantly water to the millions of displaced persons. It then developed into American forces importing food. This book shows the possibility of military help in delivering the necessary food rations in the event of a disaster.

Tsuchiya, Y., & Shuto, N. (Eds.). (1995). Tsunami: Progress in prediction, disaster prevention and warning (1st ed.). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

This book contains a variety of articles concerning tsunamis. First it tells how they are produced and then gives suggestions on prevention. Tsuchiya’s book is useful to the study of food rations in that it provides information on the possible extent of food supply disruption.

United Nations Environment Programme Asian Tsunami Task Force. (2005). After the tsunami: Rapid environmental assessment (Rapid Environmental Assessment No. DEP/0651/GE). not listed: UNEP Division of Communications and Public Information.

This report is the UNEP's analysis of 2004 tsunami's after effects. It comes from the reputable UN Environment Programme. Particularly applicable are the suggested possibilities of long-term food sources such as fisheries. Also, this report states that in some areas, food rations must be maintained for a long period of time.