Nutrition
A lifeline for hungry families
Photo: ©UNHCR/Jiro Ose
Fleeing families often face long, difficult journeys to safety, with little food or water to sustain them en route.
They arrive weak, hungry and exhausted at their destinations and then face yet more hardship. So it’s no wonder that malnutrition is rife amongst refugee populations worldwide – delaying children’s development, increasing their vulnerability to disease and causing millions of preventable deaths every year.
UNHCR is hard at work in refugee camps around the world, screening all new arrivals for malnutrition and providing emergency nutrition to help stabilise those whose lives are in danger. In some crises, UNHCR also works with local partners to provide free, nutritious meals at key border crossings and help refugees establish more secure sources of food for the future.
Our supporters help fund
Emergency nutrition
for those with severe acute malnutrition.
Nutritious meals
to keep refugee families healthy and well.
Alternative food sources
like our multi-storey vegetable gardens in Kenya.
Serving up thousands of nutritious meals a day
The Communal Kitchen Casa de Paso La Divina Providencia lies near Venezuela’s border with Colombia and welcomes thousands of refugees through its door every day.
Most are fleeing violence and political unrest in Venezuela – and all are grateful for the free, nutritious meal they’re given.
With UNHCR’s support, this kitchen serves more than 8,000 meals every day, helping keep families safe from malnutrition and disease. Community centres like this can also provide showers and toilets, as well as psychosocial support and legal services, to the vulnerable people who eat there.
Photo: ©UNHCR/Vincent Tremeau