Tag: Emergencies
Introduction to the topic The international evidence that high quality early childhood development (ECD) programmes benefit all children’s development, life experiences, and life chances is overwhelming. The evidence comes from studies of all kinds, including well-known large quantitative longitudinal studies (e.g. High/Scope Perry studies in the USA and the work of Heckman at http://heckmanequation.org/) to… Read more
Young children are extremely vulnerable in emergency situations. In a field which typically focuses on the three pillars of humanitarian assistance—food, water, and health—individuals working in emergencies often see a need to do more. They want to do more for very young children and their families, and they seek real-life examples of successful programming that… Read more
This document targets local and international staff running nutrition programmes in emergencies, and local, regional and national authorities and donors involved in such programmes. The note explains why nutrition programmes need to include early childhood development (ECD) activities to maximise the child’s development. It provides practical suggestions as to what simple steps are necessary to create integrated programmes… Read more
Disaster situations can cause immediate and lasting damage to a child’s development. Some children experience such severe stress that their growth and brain development are irreversibly impaired – leading to low attainment at school and poor long-term health. Early childhood care and development (ECCD) in emergencies builds up children’s resilience and provides a context for development… Read more
In both regular and emergency settings, quality early childhood foundations can help ensure a smooth transition to primary school, a better chance of completing basic education, and a route out of poverty and disadvantage. Through positive influences on learning achievement, skills acquisition, and health outcomes, early childhood development (ECD) interventions provide a pathway to the… Read more
This article takes complex emergencies and the humanitarian response to them as its point of reference. It provides a critique of relief, development and the linking debate. Rather than being autonomous, relief is a developmental idea. However, development concepts have proven incapable of explaining permanent emergency. They also underestimate the extent of the North’s institutional… Read more
It is increasingly recognised that in emergency programming efforts adolescents need to be viewed as a distinct group with distinct vulnerabilities and also great potential for contributing to the emergency response. Adolescents tend either to be ignored as a target group during times of emergencies or to be conceptualised as passive victims or active security threats…. Read more
Ten years on from the Indian Ocean Tsunami, the needs and rights of people with disabilities in emergencies continue to be overlooked 2014 marks the ten year anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami which took place on Boxing Day. At the time, poor data, knowledge and understanding of people with disabilities living in affected areas… Read more
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 15 per cent of the world’s population, or one billion people, have some form of disability. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 80 per cent live in poor countries, where communities are already more vulnerable to disasters and crises such as the current Ebola epidemic,… Read more
A public health emergency operations centre (EOC) is a central location for coordinating operational information and resources for strategic management of public health emergencies and events. EOCs provide communication and information tools and services and a management system during a response to an emergency or event. They also provide other essential functions to support decision-making… Read more
The EFA Global Monitoring Report for 2011 focuses on education in emergencies and recognises the importance of psycho-social interventions in addressing the negative effects of conflict, including depression, trauma, shame and withdrawal, that have devastating consequences for learning. Schools can be good places for psycho-social programmes because they can access many children, as well as… Read more