The major drivers of acute food insecurity worldwide are war, conflict, and insecurity, natural disasters and weather extremes from climate change, and economic shocks: qualities that are common in the crisis-affected areas where MedGlobal works. Food insecurity is closely linked to nutrition and can lead to both overweight and obesity or, more common in the areas where we work, malnutrition. Nutrition, in turn, is closely linked to health. People who eat diets lacking nutritious foods have higher rates of underlying health conditions, such as non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and hypertension.
In addition to providing care for the health issues that stem from food insecurity and poor nutrition, MedGlobal addresses food crises directly. We offer emergency food assistance for vulnerable people in acute need. We have distributed nutritional food and supplements in response to disasters and emergencies. For example, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic we supported meal services at a quarantine center in Darkoush, Syria and distributed food baskets in five camps of internally displaced persons in Al Hudaydah, Yemen. Currently, we provide one meal per day for Venezuelan refugees and migrants at a soup kitchen in La Parada, Colombia, which is immediately adjacent to the Venezuelan border.
MedGlobal also provides sustainable support for malnutrition, tailored to the needs of the communities we serve. Our mobile teams program in Yemen, which launched in April 2021 and still operates in Taiz governorate, is an excellent example of our nutrition programming. Full-service nutritional (and health) services are provided to hard-to-reach pregnant and lactating women (PLW) and children: from screening, to rehabilitation for severe and acute malnutrition, to referrals for inpatient services at local health facilities.
MedGlobal is also a proud member of the Global Nutrition Cluster, a group of 46 partners, representing INGOs, research and development groups, academic institutions, and UN agencies.
