Electronic food vouchers provide refugee children with better health and nutrition

Electronic food vouchers provided young Rohingya children in Bangladeshi refugee camps with better health and nutrition than direct food assistance, according to new research led by Cornell University, in conjunction with the International Food Policy Research Institute.

The electronic vouchers are provided by United Nations' World Food Programme to Rohingya families forcibly displaced into refugee camps. As of last summer, more than 911,000 Rohingya - a Muslim minority ethnic group of Mynamnar nationals who have faced decades of persecution - were living in Bangladesh, where they relied on international aid for food, shelter and medical care.

"We were trying to assess the impact of the nutritional status of children," said lead author John Hoddinott, the H.E. Babcock Professor of Food and Nutrition Economics, who holds appointments in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, and the Department of Global Development.

"The refugees are hungry and food-insecure. Giving them food helps but results in a monotonous diet," he said. "Often people have a better idea of what foods they need. If families are given an electronic voucher - much like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the U.S. - families can buy a range of food products in the small markets in the camps.

"In our observations, we found that Myanmar's refugee children were better off if their household received an electronic voucher," he said.

Hoddinott and his colleagues report that electronic food vouchers allow families to buy a greater range of nutritionally diverse foods. Electronic food vouchers are more efficient than transporting food. The Rohingya get about $9 a month in their electronic food vouchers, which look like debit cards.

In the humanitarian refugee camps, the economists measured the heights and weights of 523 children, ages 6 months to 23 months. They found that receipt of the electronic voucher was associated with improved height.

These children are at a point in their development where they grow rapidly. That kind of growth requires a variety of foods that are calorically and nutrient-dense."

John Hoddinott, the H.E. Babcock Professor of Food and Nutrition Economics

There are circumstances where delivering food is a better option, but "when we want to make these monetary transfers for vulnerable populations, we want to be as efficient as possible," he said. "The money we spend on program administration or transporting food from one continent to another costs money that can't be used to help people directly."

Source:
Journal reference:

Hoddinott, J., et al. (2020) Food transfers, electronic food vouchers and child nutritional status among Rohingya children living in Bangladesh. PLOS ONE. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230457.

Comments

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
Post a new comment
Post

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.

You might also like...
Social media normalizes unhealthy food choices, shaping youth habits and brand loyalty