The study of providing, preservation and distribution of foodstuffs in Bam earthquake

Introduction. Iran is faced with many natural disasters such as earthquake any year. Earthquake can damage food production and preservation centers. That is, following an earthquake, the situation of providing, producing, preservation and distribution of foods would dramatically be affected. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate nutritional problems following an earthquake. The aim of this study is to evaluate of problems related to food supply, preservation and distribution status in the Bam’s earthquake.Materials and Methods. In this descriptive study, 271 questionnaires were completed by the study population. Questionnaire along with direct interview with the subjects and service providers were used to collect data. In addition, for collecting data regarding planning and preventive activities done by service providers, six specific questions were presented to responsible personsResults. The results showed that the most food problems reported by the population study was improper food distribution (98.9%), which is followed by absence of food variety (80.%), and low quality of food materials (77.8%). The major causes of the identified problems included, insufficient management (91%), late provision of food materials (85.7%), lack of nutrition experts in food distribution (79.7%), and insufficient food preservation equipments (60.2%). Conclusion. Prior to earthquake it is necessary to think about a sound planning regarding food supply and distribution and foundation of food storage. Following an earthquake, important activities include determination of the duties of governmental organizations, public education, use of army staff in the field, food habits of victims should be considered.