Issue 05 Editorial

Dear Readers,

This edition of Field Exchange focuses on micronutrients. Andre Briend from ISERM gives us an overview of some of the key emergency related micronutrient issues.  We have an article written by Janak Upadhyay, UNHCR, about persistent micronutrient deficiency diseases amongst Bhutanese refugees in Nepal and the various strategies that have been tried to combat the problem. The Research and News sections also contain a number of pieces all related to strategies and initiatives to improve micronutrient intake of emergency affected populations. 

Our other field articles are diverse in terms of geographical spread and subject matter.  We have two pieces  which predominantly reflect beneficiary views of emergency feeding programmes. One article is written by Grace Abu  a nutritionist, who recently visited family and friends in Rhino refugee camp in Uganda. Grace describes the life for families in the camp who constantly face rebel attacks and food shortages and  gives a clear voice to the dissatisfaction of these refugees with both the design of feeding programmes and the way in which refugees are treated by the authorities administering them. Another article written by Fabienne Vautier of MSF Belgium describes how the low coverage and high default rates in emergency supplementary feeding programmes in Wajir, Kenya were clearly linked to specific beneficiary perceptions about the feeding centres. Once these perceptions were better understood it was possible to take a number of actions which went some way to improving programme acceptability. 

An article written by Manuel Duce-Marques describes MSF Spain's experience of registering a population in north-eastern Kenya for an emergency general ration distribution and then implementing the programme. This type of intervention, which was a first for the agency, required a steep learning curve. 

We also have an article written by Marie-France Bourgeois which outlines field level perspectives of the nutrition and health situation in the DPRK  and  describes the problems of  implementing nutritional programmes through government institutions. 

Given the extreme famine conditions now being reported from South Sudan (see NGO-Nut Section), we are especially keen to encourage articles from the crisis for the next issue of Field Exchange. So if you are there or just back and would like to share frustrations or what you have learned, please drop us a line, it may be a benefit to someone.