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🔗 They Starved So That Others Be Better Fed: Remembering Ancel Keys and the Minnesota Experiment

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During World War II, 36 conscientious objectors participated in a study of human starvation conducted by Ancel Keys and his colleagues at the University of Minnesota. The Minnesota Starvation Experiment, as it was later known, was a grueling study meant to gain insight into the physical and psychologic effects of semistarvation and the problem of refeeding civilians who had been starved during the war.

🔗 REPRESENTATIVE SURVEYS IN INSECURE ENVIRONMENTS: A CASE STUDY OF MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

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We conducted a representative survey of Mogadishu's population—the first in 25 years—in March 2012. We overcame challenges related to lack of data and poor security with the use of remote sensing, the systematic development of local contacts through the Somali diaspora, the flexible deployment of staff, and mobile technology. This article demonstrates the value of using transparent sampling methods to produce reliable estimates for humanitarian response and policy makers. The article also highlights shortcomings and lessons learned from our approach, with the goal of improving future data collection efforts in insecure environments.