Detention Centers Rapid Food Assessment

August 2016 Detention Centers Rapid Food Assessment Detention Task Force Libya

Introduction Over the course of the year Detention Centre Task Force, through its members working in the Detention Centres, have noted concerns about the food situation at the detentions centres where they operate. These concerns have arisen from conversations with DC guards and detainees, observation of the food services and clinical observations. In order to better understand the scope of the problem, the Detention Centre Task Force undertook an assessment that would examine and document the problem in a uniform way. Methodology International Medical Corps designed survey tools for detainees and DCIM guards/management that aimed to capture experiences and opinions related to food security, frequency, quantity, quality and appropriateness. The tool was developed with support from a food security technical advisor and reference to human rights guidelines related to detention. The survey was administered orally in English or Arabic and responses were multiple choice, with the option to add relevant comments to each question, and the opportunity for interviewees to provide recommendations at the end. On behalf of the Detention Task Force, International Medical Corps invited partners for a meeting in Tripoli on August 22, 2016 to discuss the objectives of the food assessment, divide responsibilities and train the team on the tools and method to be used. Protection Officers and M&E Officers from IMC, DRC and CIR were trained in use of the tool and data entry at the meeting or by skype (for those based outside of Tripoli). Interviewers were instructed to interview 20% of detainees. Although convenience sampling was used, interviewers were instructed to try to speak to a diverse range of detainees (in terms of age, sex and nationality) in order to understand different experiences. The Assessment was conducted August 22-24 th in 9 Detention Centres: Abousaleem, Salah Adeen, Al Falah, Zleten, Karareem, Khoms, Al Naser, Zawyah Abou Essa, and Sorman. Sabha was not accessible due to unavailability of guards. Upon arrival to the Detention Centres, interviewers explained the purpose of the assessment and solicited permission to continue from the guards. The teams found the staff of the DCs receptive to this initiative and cooperative. All detainees interviewed were told that their participation was voluntary and anonymous, and they provided oral consent. Persons interviewed were encouraged to respond to all questions, but had the option to refuse, in this case percentages reported will not add to 100%, as the missing portion reflects those who did not respond. Findings In total 139 detainees and 20 Guards from 9 DCs were interviewed. Among the detainees interviewed, 13 reported having a special health condition (pregnant, breastfeeding or illness), and all 13 reported that the DC staff were aware of their condition.

Detention Centre Number of Detainees Number of Interviews Interviewed with staff conducted Abousaleem 14 1 Al Falah 6 1 Al Nasser 15 1 Karareem 17 2 Khoms 3 1 Salah Adeen 20 6 Sorman 22 2 Zawyah Abu Essa 18 1 Zleten 24 5 Total 139 20 Detainee Interviews When asked about food security, 21% of detainees were always worried about food, 42% were sometimes worried, 6% were rarely worried, and 30% were never worried. Although responses varied, one or more detainee from each of the 9 DCs involved in this assessment reported being always or sometimes worried about going without food. How often detainees worry about food security 2.2% 29.5% 20.9% 5.8% 41.7% All the time Sometimes Rarely Never No Response In regards to the quantity of food they received 63% were never satisfied, 19% were somewhat satisfied and 16% were satisfied. The majority of detainees (73%) reporting consuming all of their food from the previous day. The majority of detainees interviewed (76%) reported receiving an average of three meals a day, although 18% of those interviewed only received two meals (from Abousaleem and Al Naser) and 4% received only one meal a day on average.

Detainees satisfaction with food at DCs 1.3% 10.8% 25.3% 62.6% Completely satisfied Somewhat satisfied Never Satisfied No Response Food shortages were a problem in some DCs, with some detainees from 7 of the 9 facilities assessed reporting going without food once or twice in the last week. At the time of the Rapid Assessment, Al Falah was facing a serious food shortage and detainees were only receiving one meal a day thanks to the charity of the guards. It should also be noted that 35% of detainees interviewed reported never having access to sufficient drinking water in the cell, and 17% reporting sometimes not having access to drinking water in the cell. The facilities where detainees mentioned never having access to drinking water in the cell included: Al Falah, Al Naser, Karareem, Sorman, and Zawyah. Detainees from Salah Adeen and Abousaleem noted sometimes not having access to drinking water in the cell. Detainees at Al Falah and Karareem specifically mentioned that the drinking water was not clean and tasted salty. When asked to rate the general quality of food they received, 63% were never satisfied, 25% were somewhat satisfied and 11% were satisfied. When asked to recall the meals over the past week, 55% of detainees reported being dissatisfied 3 or more times, 14% reported being dissatisfied twice, 12% were dissatisfied at least one, and 16% were never dissatisfied. Detainees cited complaints about the quality of food (58%), the quantity (53%), the type of food (51%), the frequency (32%), and the service (19%). 13 of 139 detainees interviewed reported having a special circumstance, such as pregnant or lactating. While all 13 said that the DCIM guards were aware of their condition, 9 said they were never served food that took into consideration their circumstances. Consistent with this, guards from 7 of the 9 facilities assessed reported that people with special conditions were rarely served food or never served special foods.

When solicited for comments about the food, detainees mentioned that they believed that it wasn t very healthy and it lacked vitamins, there was a lack of variety, it was all the same and had no taste, and many that the amount of food they were served was not enough. Detention Centre Staff Interviews Detention Centre guards interviewed also expressed concerns about the quality and quantity of foods provided to detainees. Staff from 3 of the 9 DCs assessed reported sometimes worrying about a food shortage (Abusaleem, Al Falah and Zleten). The food quality was rated as poor by staff from 4 facilities and decent by staff from 5 facilities, no staff rated the quality of food provided to detainees as good. Staff from 4 of the 9 facilities rated the portion of food served to detainees as poor, this included Abousaleem, Al Falah, Salah Adeen, Sorman and Zleten DCs. The staff at 8 facilities agreed that detainees usually consumed all food, and at Abousaleem the staff somewhat agreed with this statement. With the exception of Abousaleem and Al Naser, where staff reported detainees being served only two meals a day on average, staff at all of the DCs reported that detainees received 3 meals a day on average. With the except of Sorman DC, staff noted that detainees were usually served food in shared bowls. Staff at Abousaleem and Al Falah DCs reported that there had been a food shortage more than three times in the past week. Abousaleem, Al Naser, Karareem and Zawyah DCs reported usually having a one-week supply of food in storage while the other 5 facilities had none, as they rely on the catering companies to bring food. All of the guards reported that they would buy (or in the past have bought) food for the detainees if the catering companies do not arrive. Notable staff comments included poor quality of the food and insufficient quantities. One guard who was interviewed mentioned that sometimes the bread from the catering companies came with evidence of mice bites, which he removed before detainees saw. When asked for final recommendations, some staff said they thought the food should include more fruits, vegetables and meat, and there should be milk for mothers and young children. Limitations Considering both the conditions of detention and ever changing migration flows, this Rapid Food Assessment has some limitations. Firstly, a convenience sample was used, based on who was available and willing to speak with interviewers, therefore this survey only captured the opinions and experiences of those who were interviewed. Secondly, as interviews were conducted only in English or Arabic, detainees language abilities might have affected their responses. Finally given the conditions of detention, though detainees were ensured of confidentiality and anonymity, their responses might have exaggerated by their desire to be released or understated due to fear of criticizing the DC staff. Although opinions and experiences varied, the general consistency among detainee and staff responses related to factual information (such as meal times, frequency, food items and portions

provided) suggests that the survey captured an informative snapshot of the situation, not skewed too much by any extreme circumstances. Conclusions & Recommendations This assessment has found serious concerns about the quality and quantity of food provided to detainees from interviews with both detainees themselves and DC staff. Additionally, the limited availability of potable drinking water was noted. The Detention Centre Task Force recommends to: Improve the quality of food, to include more variety, vitamins and proteins Ensure that catering companies provide a certain minimum quantity per person and are held accountable to this Provide supplemental and appropriate foods for young children, and breastfeeding and pregnant women Install drinking water station in all cells for clean drinking water Establish an emergency response mechanism able to provide food when the catering companies do not arrive

Summary of Detainee Interviews Biodata I. Age II. Sex Male Female Total III. Country of Origin IV. Special circumstance (yes=1, no=0, Not applicable= NA) yes no 13 126 V. DCIM is aware of condition (yes=1, no=0, Not applicable= NA) yes no 13 0 VI. Child less than 5 years yes no 3 2 Interview 1. How long have you been at this detention center? 2. Have you been worried about going without food in the detention center? 3. How would you rate the quality of the food that you are served? 4. How would you rate the quantity/portion of the food you are served? 5. My meals are served at an appropriate time of the day. 6. In the past 24hrs my meals times have been a. Breakfast b. Lunch c. Dinner d. Other 7. For yesterday, I consumed all the meals I was served. A. 1-3wks B. 1-2 mo C. 3-6 mo D. more than 6 mo 35 58 43 3 25,18% 41,73% 30,94% 2,16% A. all the B. E. no C. rarely D. Never time sometimes answer 29 58 8 41 2 20,86% 41,73% 5,76% 29,50% 1,44% A. B. C. Never D. No completely Somewhat Satisfied answer satisfied satisfied 15 35 87 1 10,79% 25,18% 62,59% 0,72% A. completely satisfied B. Somewhat satisfied C. Never Satisfied D. No answer 22 27 87 3 15,83% 19,42% 62,59% 2,16% A. B. C. D. Never completely Completely somewhat Agree agree Disagree agree E. no answer 60 4 41 31 3 43,17% 2,88% 29,50% 22,30% 2,16% A. Agree B. Somewhat agree C. Disagree D. no answer E. do not remember 102 24 5 5 3 73,38% 17,27% 3,60% 3,60% 2,16%

8. Over the past week, on average I receive 9. Over the past week, I have gone without food (how many days) 10. My meals are served in an individual bowl with cutlery (forks and spoons) 11. I have access to sufficient drinking water in the cell. A. one meal a day B. Two meals a day C. Three meals a day D. Other 5 25 105 3 0 3,60% 17,99% 75,54% 2,16% 0,00% A. once B. 2-4 C. more E. do not than 5 D. never remember times 11 9 0 116 3 7,91% 6,47% 0,00% 83,45% 2,16% A. All the B. D. no C. Never time Sometimes answer 67 4 47 18 1 48,20% 2,88% 33,81% 12,95% 0,72% A. All the B. D. don't E. no C. Never time Sometimes remember answer 60 24 49 3 1 43,2% 17,3% 35,3% 2,2% 0,7% 12. My complaints about the food relate to the following: 1=yes 0=no yes no NR a. Quality 81 25 58,3% 18,0% 0,24 b. Frequency 44 62 31,7% 44,6% 0,24 c. Quantity 73 33 52,5% 23,7% 0,24 d. Type of food served 71 35 51,1% 25,2% 0,24 e. Service 27 79 19,4% 56,8% 0,24 13. I am able to complain to DC staff about the quality of the food and service 14. In the past one week, how many times have you been dissatisfied with the food? 15. My child, (less than 5 years) is served the same type of food I receive 16. The quality/quantity/ frequency of the food that I am served takes into consideration my special conditions A. All the B. D. no C. Never time Sometimes answer 29 53 37 13 20,86% 38,13% 26,62% 9,35% A. Never B. once C. twice D. more than 3x 23 17 19 76 16,55% 12,23% 13,67% 54,68% A. all the B. time Sometimes C. Rarely D. Never E. NA 8 1 0 0 130 A. all the time B. Sometimes C. Rarely D. Never E. no answer F. NA 0 1 1 9 2 126

Rapid Food Assessment Survey for Detention Center for DCIM Staff Hello, we are conducting an assessment to better understand the food availability and quality at the detention centers. From this information we can make recommendations on appropriate interventions. Your participation is completely voluntary and confidential (private). Do you wish to participate? Detention Center: Date of Assessment: I. Current number of detainees: II. Capacity of detainees: III. Number of staff: IV. Catering Company name: V. Number of detainees with special circumstance/condition: a) Pregnant: b) Breastfeeding: c) Chronic disease: Question Response Comments 1. Have you been worried about the detainees going without food in the detention center? 2. How would you rate the quality of the food that is served to detainees? 3. How would you rate the quantity/portion of the food that is served? 4. Meals are served at an appropriate time of the day. 5. In the past 24 hours, meals have been served at what time 6. Detainees usually consume all food served to them b. Sometimes c. Rarely d. Never e. Refused to answer a. Good b. Decent c. Poor a. Good b. Decent c. Poor a. Completely agree b. Completely disagree c. Somewhat agree d. Never agree e. Refused to answer a. Breakfast b. Snacks. c. Lunch d. Supper... e. Others a. Yes, I completely agree b. Yes, I somewhat agree c. No, disagree Probe for the reasons for the thought of going without food. Probe for times for the various meals Probe for reasons for any inconsistencies. Probe for portions of food consumed and why. Also probe for reasons for refusal to answer.

7. Over the past week, on average detainees are served 8. My meals are served in an individual bowl with cutlery (forks and spoons) 9. Do detainees have access to sufficient drinking water in the cell. 10. Do detainees complain about the quality of the food and service 11. In the past week, there was a shortage of food? 12. Do you have concerns about the food related to the following: a. Quality b. Frequency c. Quantity d. Type of food served e. Service 13. In the past one week, how many times was there a shortage of food (not enough food for everyone) for a meal time? 14. Children, (less than 5 years) are served the same type of food as adults? 15. Does the quality/quantity/ frequency of the food served take into consideration special conditions (Pregnancy/lactation/breastfeeding/ living with an illness)? 16. On average, how many days of food is kept in the kitchen or storeroom of the facility? (there is enough food stored for how many days) a. One meal a day b. Two meals a day c. 3 meals a day d. Other e. Refused to answer b. Some of the time c. Never b. Sometimes c. Never b. Sometimes c. Never b. Sometimes c. Never If mentioned write 1, not mentioned=0 a. b. c. d. e. a. Never b. Once c. Twice d. More than 3x e. Refused to answer b. Sometimes c. Rarely d. Never e. Refused to answer b. Sometimes c. Rarely d. Never e. Refused to answer Probe for complaints mechanisms regarding food and how response is effected Probe for any considerations for children. Ask what, if anything is done for these groups

17. What do you do in the case of a shortage of food? (When there is a very low supply of food) **probe for answers, do they have special funds to buy, do they release detainees? Skip meals? 18. A typical meal in the Detention Center consists of a. Breakfast 19. Do you have any other comments or recommendations related to food availability and quality at the DC? b. Lunch c. Dinner d. Snacks/others

Rapid Food Assessment Survey for Detention Center- for Detainees Hello, we are conducting an assessment to better understand the food availability and quality at the detention centers. Your participation is completely voluntary and confidential (private). We will use the information to provide recommendations to improve the food services. Do you wish to participate? Detention Center: Date of Assessment: VI. Interviewee s age: VII. Sex: Male/ Female VIII. Interviewee s country of origin IX. Special circumstance/condition: a. Pregnant b. Breastfeeding a. If yes, for how long? X. The DCIM is aware of my special condition yes no N/A XI. I have a child of less than 5years with me yes no Question Response Comments 18. How long have you been at this a. 1-3 weeks detention center? b. 1-2 months c. 3-6 months d. More than 6 months 19. Have you been worried about going without food in the detention center? 20. How would you rate the quality of the food that you are served? 21. How would you rate the quantity/portion of the food you are served? 22. My meals are served at an appropriate time of the day. 23. In the past 24hrs my meals times have been 24. For yesterday, I consumed all the meals I was served. f. All the time g. Sometimes h. Rarely i. Never j. Refused to answer e. Completely satisfied f. Somewhat satisfied g. Never satisfied h. Refused to answer a. Completely satisfied b. Somewhat satisfied c. Never Satisfied f. Completely agree g. Completely disagree h. Somewhat agree i. Never agree j. Refused to answer f. Breakfast.. g. Snacks. h. Lunch i. Supper. j. Others e. Yes, I completely agree f. Yes, I somewhat agree g. No, I completely disagree h. Refused to answer i. Cannot remember Probe for the reasons for the thought of going without food. Probe for times for the various meals Probe for reasons for any inconsistencies. Probe for portions of food consumed and why

25. Over the past week, on average I receive 26. Over the past week, I have gone without food (how many days) 27. My meals are served in an individual bowl with cutlery (forks and spoons) 28. I have access to sufficient drinking water in the cell. 29. My complaints about the food relate to the following: f. Quality g. Frequency h. Quantity i. Type of food served j. Service 30. I am able to complain to DC staff about the quality of the food and service 31. In the past one week, how many times have you been dissatisfied with the food? 32. My child, (less than 5 years) is served the same type of food I receive 33. For those with special conditions (Pregnancy/lactation/breastfeeding/ living with an illness) The quality/quantity/ frequency of the food that I am served takes into consideration my special conditions f. One meal a day g. Two meals a day h. 3 meals a day i. Other a. Once b. 2-4 times c. More than 5 d. Never e. Refused to answer e. All the time f. Some of the time g. Never h. Refused to answer e. All the time f. Sometimes g. Never h. Can t remember i. Refused to answer If mentioned write 1, not mentioned=0 f. g. h. i. j. b. Never c. Sometimes f. Never g. Once h. Twice i. More than 3 f. All the time g. Sometimes h. Rarely i. Never j. Not applicable f. All the time g. Sometimes h. Rarely i. Never j. Refused to answer k. Not applicable Probe for reasons for going without food Probe for complaints mechanisms regarding food and how response is effected Probe for any considerations for children. 17. A typical meal in my country consists of a. Breakfast 18. A typical meal at the Detention Centre consists of: a. Breakfast b. Lunch b. Lunch

c. Dinner c. Dinner d. Snacks/others d. Snacks/others Probe for seasonality e.g. religious days, hunger/learn periods 19. Do you have any other comments or recommendations related to food availability at the DC?