The relationship between flood and food security among post-flood victims at Bera district, Pahang, Malaysia / Siti Nur Syazwani Abd Aziz

Floods continue to pose the greatest threat to the property and safety of human population especially in the sense of food security. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (2006), food security occurs when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for a dynamic and healthy life. Meanwhile, Strickhouser, Wright, and Donley (2015) stated that according to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) food insecurity is defines as the state of being without reliable access to an adequate quantity of affordable and nutritious food. This cross-sectional study by using convenience sampling was conducted among the post-flood victims at Bera district, Pahang, states of Malaysia. There are two objectives for this research which are to determine the relationship between flood and food security and to examine the nutritional status and eating behavior among the victims. The combination questionnaire with some modification were used in this study by collecting the data through pre-tested questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of; anthropometry assessment, the survey item developed by Cambodia Post-Flood Relief and Recovery Survey, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and also the Adult Food Security Survey Module (AFSSM). From the total of 247 respondents, 210 respondents were answered the questionnaire, whereas another 37 respondents refused to answer it. Out of 210 of respondent, 115 from them are effected by the flood and another 95 respondents are not affected with the percentage 54.8% and 45.2%, respectively. There are about 65.1% of food secure among the respondents and 34.9% of food insecure according to AFSSM. The main findings of this study showed that the level of food security among post-flood victims at Bera district, Pahang is not a big issues because almost all of them have enough food aid during the floods.