Our response in Emergencies
UNICEF supporting the return to normality after devastating crises
UNICEF in action
In the event of an emergency, UNICEF will work with local authorities and development partners to ensure an integrated humanitarian response for affected children and their families, with access to critical services restored as quickly as possible. We will address the specific needs of vulnerable populations, so they are protected against violence and have equal access to humanitarian aid.
UNICEF will assist with emergency coordination and real-time information management in the initial phase with swift deployment of staff, as well as support to rapid needs assessments in order to steer interventions and focus on capacity gaps and priorities. We have prepositioned supplies, such as dignity kits, jerry cans and recreational kits, and these will be distributed according to need.
Through collaboration, UNICEF will provide technical assistance to the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), child protection, education and shock responsive social protection sectors.
Solutions
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH)
Vital water-delivery systems often break down in an emergency and lack of potable water is life threatening. Inadequate sanitation can lead to the spread of waterborne diseases. UNICEF is the global cluster lead in WASH.
In addition to needs assessments, UNICEF will support the activation/establishment of national emergency WASH cluster coordination and capacity mapping to effectively pool resources. Hygiene-promotion messaging will be made available.
Safe and equitable access to enough clean water to meet drinking and domestic needs, through collaboration with water utility services, is critical. Appropriate hygiene supplies (such as water treatment chemicals, jerry cans and dignity kits) will also be distributed.
Child Protection
With the destruction of homes and displacement of families, children are at higher risk of physical violence (including gender-based violence) and sexual abuse. They can also become separated from their caregivers.
UNICEF will support governments to activate and coordinate mechanisms for child protection in consultation with other development partners and to conduct child protection needs assessments and strengthen community-based child protection mechanisms, providing training and resources to local partners to identify and respond to cases of abuse, exploitation, and neglect. UNICEF will also work with government to implement family tracing and reunification efforts to ensure that children are quickly and safely reunited with their families.
To provide psychosocial and mental health support, UNICEF will work with partners and education colleagues to set up Return to Happiness programmes and community-based child-friendly spaces. Child protection and social and behaviour change staff will collaborate on developing and disseminating child protection and safety messaging.
EDUCATION
Children must return to school, or learning spaces, as quickly as possible after an emergency. Schools often provide a safe space for children and continuing their education helps protect their futures.
UNICEF will offer technical support to ministry of education-led coordination mechanisms and response plans. Following rapid assessments, we will work with partners to establish appropriate temporary learning spaces with adequate materials, providing large tents, schools-in-boxes, early childhood development kits and recreational kits.
Working with child protection colleagues, UNICEF education staff and partners will establish psychosocial support such as the Return to Happiness programme.
Where necessary, clearing of debris in schools and working towards refurbishment will also fall under our remit.
SOCIAL PROTECTION
Shock-responsive social protection, including cash transfer interventions, helps countries, communities and families to anticipate shocks and stresses and build their resilience.
UNICEF works in close collaboration with governments across the Eastern Caribbean to strengthen their national social protection systems, and to ensure they are shock-responsive and more able to cope with an increased caseload following major events. We will support coordination of social protection during emergencies and work with partners towards providing cash grants to vulnerable households. The ‘cash plus’ model is becoming a paradigm, where partners develop and implement programmes that offer additional interventions complementing cash benefits.
We also strive to strengthen the links between humanitarian action and development, using the emergency as an entry point for sustainable and longer-term shock-responsive social protection systems which would be a permanent feature, existing well beyond the relief and recovery phase of any crisis.