WHY WE ARE HERE

The Operation Hunger Strategy is guided by the Convention on the Human Rights, which recognises the right for every human to nutrition. Malnutrition, in all its forms, is a violation of this right. Hence, the Strategy aims to contribute to addressing the triple burden of malnutrition: undernutrition, both stunting and wasting; deficiencies in vitamins and other micronutrients; and overweight, obesity, and diet-related non-communicable diseases..

WHY WE ARE HERE

The Operation Hunger Strategy is guided by the Convention on the Human Rights, which recognises the right for every human to nutrition. Malnutrition, in all its forms, is a violation of this right. Hence, the Strategy aims to contribute to addressing the triple burden of malnutrition: undernutrition, both stunting and wasting; deficiencies in vitamins and other micronutrients; and overweight, obesity, and diet-related non-communicable diseases.

Our

Vision

A world where all children, adolescents, women, and men realise their right to holistic nutrition.

Our

Mission


To provide, protect, and promote diets, services, and practices that support optimal nutrition, growth, and development for all children, adolescents, women, and men, especially vulnerable populations.

We ensure access by all people, including infants, to nutritious, safe, and sufficient food year-round.

In doing so, we are making strides in our efforts to end hunger and malnutrition in all its forms, especially in vulnerable communities, focusing on women and children.

NUTRITION EQUITY

FOR EVERYONE

Result Area 1 (0-5 yrs old)

Early childhood nutrition – encompasses Operation Hunger’s programming for the prevention of all forms of malnutrition in the first five years of life, including undernutrition (both stunting and wasting), micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight.

Result area 2 (5-19 yrs old)

Nutrition in middle childhood and adolescence – encompasses Operation Hunger’s programming for the prevention of all forms of malnutrition in middle childhood (ages 5–9 years) and adolescence (ages 10–19 years), including undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight.

Result Area 3 (First 1K days)

Maternal nutrition – encompasses Operation Hunger’s programming for the prevention of all forms of malnutrition in women during pregnancy and breastfeeding, including undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight, as well as the prevention of low birth weight in newborns.

Result area 4 (10-19 yrs old)

Nutrition and care for children with wasting & stunting – encompasses Operation Hunger’s programming for the early detection and treatment of wasting and stunting in early childhood, through community-based approaches and linkages to health facility systems, as part of a continuum of nutrition, care, and support for children.

Results Area 5

Partnerships and governance for nutrition – encompasses Operation Hunger’s programming to strengthen the enabling environment for nutrition equity at the regional and community levels through improved partnerships, data, knowledge, advocacy, influence, and financing.

Result Area 6

Encompasses the activation of the central role of the food system—working together with the health, water and sanitation, education, and social protection systems.

OUR

Objective



OBJECTIVE 1

To create resilient, healthy, self-sustainable, food-secure communities through skills development, expanding food environment elements, strengthening local ownership, and developing innovative approaches for sustainable programme scaling.



OBJECTIVE 2

To promote, lobby for investment, and deliver diets, services, and practices that support good nutrition at every stage of life to all vulnerable populations within their communities.



OBJECTIVE 3

To combine research, technical assistance, advocacy, and partnerships to influence policies, improve programmes, and increase resources for nutrition.



OBJECTIVE 4

To prevent undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight in early childhood (the first five years of life) and throughout all life cycles.



OBJECTIVE 5

To coordinate, capture, and address the interactions and interconnections across systems—food, health, water and sanitation, education, and social protection.

Operation Hunger

Principles

The principles that guide the design and implementation of the Operation Hunger Nutrition Programmes.

GENDER-RESPONSIVE

Our approach to nutrition programming strives to reduce gender inequities across the life cycle within households and societies. This includes fostering women’s decision-making power regarding diets, services, and practices, and engaging men in child feeding and care to reduce the impact of socially constructed gender roles on the nutrition of all household members. Therefore, programmes that contribute to realising girls’ and women’s right to nutrition help reduce gender discrimination and increase the potential for positive intergenerational impacts on nutrition when women choose to become mothers.

EQUITY-FOCUSED

Our approach to nutrition programming is guided by the conviction that reducing inequities is right in both principle and practice. Inequities prevent the most marginalised populations from having access to nutritious, safe, affordable, and sustainable diets, as well as adequate nutrition services and practices. Therefore, programmes that place a deliberate focus on the most vulnerable can reduce inequities (right in principle) and improve impact (right in practice). This is key, as all forms of malnutrition are increasingly concentrated among the poorest and most marginalised children, adolescents, women, families, and communities.

SYSTEM-CENTERED

Operation Hunger understands how everyday circumstances, environment, social position, human capital, and social context all jointly determine a person’s likelihood of becoming malnourished. Our programme responses activate the following systems: food, health, education, social protection, and water/sanitation, to deliver the greatest potential towards sustainable food and resilient communities.

CONTENT-SPECIFIC

Our approach to nutrition programming is guided by the conviction that context-specific programme responses contribute to the progressive realisation of the holistic right to nutrition. Context-specific programming is informed by an analysis of the nutrition situation of each community or population – including determinants, drivers, and potential impact pathways – as well as an analysis of the resources (human and financial) and partnerships available. The triangulation of needs, resources, and partnerships in the context of the Strategy allows Operation Hunger to tailor its nutrition programme to a specific programming context.

EVIDENCE-INFORMED

Our approach to nutrition programming is guided by the best scientific and programme evidence and guidance available. We constantly adapt and generate new evidence (data and knowledge) that informs our sustainable, innovative approaches to maternal and child nutrition, in both development and humanitarian contexts.

RIGHTS-BASED

Operation Hunger’s approach to nutrition programming is guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979), and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), which recognise the right of all to nutrition.

01. END HUNGER

End hunger – Achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

03. Good health and well-being

Good health and well-being – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

05. Gender equality

Gender equality – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Our Hunger Heroes