UN experts push for mitigating natural disasters, emergencies
Published:Saturday | June 8, 2024 | 12:08 AMAsha Wilks/Gleaner Writer
Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations are advising that measures be put in place in the event of natural disaster and other unforeseen emergencies.
Along with other small island developing nations (SIDS), Jamaica is highly susceptible to natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and tropical storms. This is especially the case during the Atlantic hurricane season which runs from June 1 to November 30.
Ahead of Friday’s observance of World Food Safety Day, which is being held under the theme ‘Food safety: Prepare for the unexpected’, the importance of being proactive was highlighted.
Speaking at the online forum, Jessica Kayamori Lopes, regional food safety advisor for the WHO Western Pacific Regional office, stressed that being “prepared is much better than responding” to emergency situations as she outlined a series of guidelines that families could follow.
She noted that establishing an emergency food reserve was crucial, as natural disasters frequently lead to a reduction in access to food and water, and in more severe cases, power outages that can persist for days or weeks at a time.
The emergency food supply, she outlined, should also include canned foods, dry goods, high-calorie foods, and foods that do not require refrigeration or the use of water to be prepared.
Additionally, individuals must set aside disposable utensils, can openers and other items that will make life easier during the period of a disaster.
She urged that foods being kept in the emergency supply should also be packed or wrapped in sealed bags or containers. Individuals should also ensure to separate raw and cooked foods under these circumstances.
Furthermore, households are advised to remember to consider each family member’s dietary requirements when storing food.
During disaster, they are urged to try to stay as clean as possible by washing their hands before handling food and using clean water if cooking is necessary.
Water treatment
For her part, Maggie Montgomery, WHO technical officer for the water, sanitation, hygiene and health unit stated that when an event of flooding occurs there is a high risk that faecal material will contaminate water and sanitation systems.
As such, the most crucial step is to make water safer by boiling it, she said.
Montgomery argues that boiling water is one of the most effective methods of treating water as it inactivates and kills the viruses, bacteria and protozoa which are the three main pathogens that cause diarrhoeal disease.
“You only need to bring it to a rolling boil, you don’t need to let it boil for minutes on end,” she cautioned, noting the importance of not using more energy than necessary in times of crisis.
Other ways to treat water, she further explained, were to filter it using additives or utilising chlorine and disinfectants.
In order to avoid recontamination, she encouraged individuals to properly store treated water, preferably using containers that are clean, covered and can extract water without the risk of contamination.
Lopes also pointed that it is not advisable for people to risk consuming food that has come into contact with floodwater or any other type of water source that could have become contaminated during a flooding event.
Furthermore, individuals must not risk consuming foods that have been left in warmer temperatures for more than two hours due to power outage as increased temperature results in the proliferation of bacteria.
“We have, as a global community, a wonderful opportunity and a challenge also to prevent 600 million food-borne illnesses each year,” noted Jeffrey LeJeune, food safety officer at the FAO, adding that being prepared in this kind of way was key to preventing illness under disastrous circumstances.