The culture of migrants/refugees also has a great impact on their choice of foods. Language barriers and difficulties with adaptation to a new cultural environment (including foods) are common to both migrants and refugees and are associated with food insecurity. It is this area that this systematic review explores.Īmong migrant and refugee populations, the factors that have been implicated in food security include: language barriers, culturally determined dietary preferences which may remain unsatisfied in the new country, and a lack of familiarity with nutritionally sound substitutes. Research among migrant/refugee populations to discern the reasons for continued food insecurity for these populations in HICs is a necessary prelude to addressing any problem effectively. Those refugees who do eventually settle in HICs (such as the USA, UK, and Australia) can still face problems in terms of food security, including nutrition. Although more than half of all international migrants worldwide are hosted in high-income countries (HICs), a substantial proportion of refugees are hosted in low- or middle-income countries, such as Turkey, Uganda, Palestine, and Pakistan. Over the past two decades, the number of international migrants globally (including refugees who comprise about 10% of international migrants) has increased from 174 million in 2000 to 272 million in 2019 (prior to COVID-19).ĭue to the rising number of migrants and refugees, food security among these groups has become an increasing concern for international aid agencies and host country governments. The number of people ‘on the move’ as migrants and refugees is currently at its highest level since the period immediately after World War II. There are also migrants able to choose to move for education or temporary employment or able to emigrate and secure permanent residency. These populations, whether in their home countries or dispersed internationally as refugees, present challenges to the international community and host countries in terms of meeting their nutritional needs. This right is clearly linked to food security in many groups of people, including migrants and refugees.Įxternal and internal conflicts, together with natural disasters, have generated vast numbers of internally and internationally displaced persons. This right implies that food is to be available not just in sufficient quantity and quality (and safe), but also “acceptable within a given culture”, and access to it should be sustainable and not interfere with other human rights. Food insecurity adversely impacts the health of MENA migrants and refugees, creating economic implications for individuals, families, the broader community in which they now live, and for governments.Įvery individual has the right to adequate food and to be free from hunger regardless of their socio-economic or socio-cultural status, as proclaimed in 1948 in the United Nations (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and reiterated in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Food insecurity was associated with acculturation and socio-economic factors. ![]() ![]() The rates of reported food insecurity ranged from 40% to 71% and were significantly higher than for the general population. Three studies met the inclusion criteria, all of which were conducted in USA: two among Sudanese migrant families, and one among Somali refugee women. Four databases, namely MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), and PubMed were searched. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed in this systematic review. This systematic review identified the prevalence of food insecurity and its effects among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) migrants and refugees in high-income countries. While there are some studies on the experience of some migrant groups (and other subpopulations), little is known about food security among Middle Eastern and African migrants and refugees. Issues related to poverty and income inequality in high-income countries have led to food insecurity among some population groups, such as migrants and refugees.
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