Child Health and Rights

Nearly 1.5 million children have been directly affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Girls and boys, who make up almost half of the population, are among the most vulnerable groups (UNICEF 2010). The resources in Child Health and Rights section of the Haiti Relief Toolkit were compiled in an effort to ensure that the voices of Haiti's children are heard and that their needs are met, in terms of helping them cope with the trauma of the earthquake and in caring and protecting them.

See also the Youth Reproductive Health section of the toolkit for related resources.

Tips for Helping Preschool-Age Children After Disasters

No Date | National Center for Child Traumatic Stress | 1 p

English

This one-page chart provides information about reactions of preschool-aged children to disaster and quick tips about how to respond to their needs.

No Date | National Center for Child Traumatic Stress | 1 p

English

This one-page chart provides information about reactions of school-aged children to disaster and gives quick tips of how to respond to their needs.

No Date | Early Childhood Initiative Foundation of Miami | 1 p

This one-page document contains basic facts about vaccines.

2010 | United Nations Children's Fund [UNICEF]

English

UNICEF, WHO and WFP call for support for appropriate infant and young child feeding in the current emergency, and caution about unnecessary and potentially harmful donations and use of breast-milk substitutes.

2010 | Plan International | 32 p

English

Plan International, in partnership with UNICEF, initiated a consultation process with close to 1,000 children and youth throughout Haiti, to hear their ideas and priorities for the country’s reconstruction. Their views were gathered with the purpose of feeding into the PDNA. Local facilitators experienced in working with children and youth conducted 54 focus group consultations in nine departments (West, Artibonite, South-East, North, Grande Anse, Nippes, North-West and North-East, and the South).

2010 | Child Protection Working Group of the Protection Cluster Working Group

English

Even during emergencies, all children have a right to a family and families have a right to care for their children. Unaccompanied and separated children should be provided with services aimed at reuniting them with their parents or customary care-givers as quickly as possible. Interim care should be consistent with the aim of family reunification, and should ensure children’s protection and well-being.

2009 | United Nations General Assembly | 1 p

English

This factsheet provides information about the millions of children in alternative care. Click here for the entire resolution.

2008 | ECPAT International | 75 p

English

This guide has been written in order to assist people who are providing training to trainers. It is based on our experiences of training trainers in relation to combating the trafficking in children for sexual purposes and draws from those experiences, but the methodology has also been used in the training of trainers on a broad range of issues. Consequently we think that, with slight adaptation, it can also be of use to those who are required to train trainers on other subjects related to children’s welfare and rights.

2008 | United Nations Children's Fund [UNICEF] | 11 p

Spanish

Escuelas. Albergues. Planificacion en desastres. Niño. Educacion en desastres. Ayuda de emergencia o humanitaria.

2008 | World Health Organization [WHO]

Manual for the health care of children in humanitarian emergencies |

Manuel de prise en charge des enfants en situation d'urgence humanitaire (French)

This manual was developed based on the recommendations of a global technical consultation on child health in humanitarian emergencies co-organized by WHO and UNICEF at the end of 2003. WHO in collaboration with the Centre for Refugee and Disaster Response, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University undertook a systematic review in 2004. It demonstrated that existing guidelines, including The Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI), do not cover all priority conditions in emergencies.

2007 | United Nations Children's Fund [UNICEF] | 24

Spanish

Incluye Salud y Nutrición, Agua, Saneamiento e Higiene, Educación, Protección de la Niñez, e Información y Comunicación.

2007 | United Nations General Assembly

English

The projected international guidelines seek to ensure that, on the one hand, children do not find themselves in out-of-home care unnecessarily and, on the other, out-of-home care provided is of a type and quality that corresponds to the rights and specific needs of the child concerned. They are designed to promote, facilitate and guide the progressive implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in this particular area of concern.

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Helping Children Cope with Disaster

2006 | American Red Cross | 12 p

English
Creole

This brochure provides parents, caregivers and adults with some suggestions on how to help children cope with the effects of a disaster and how to get prepared before a disaster strikes. [Creole: Bwochi sa a ofri paran, moun ki bay swen ak lòt adilt yo kèk sijesyon sou fason pou ede timoun yo fè fas ak efè yon dezas genyen, epi tou sou fason pou prepare anvan yon dezas frape.]

2005 | Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children

English

Young People's Livelihood, Reproductive Health for Young People, HIV/AIDS and Young People, Gender-Based Violence Against Young People, Adolescent-Headed Households, Separated Adolescents, Adolescents and Youth-Friendly Spaces, Young People's Participation,

2005 | United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR]

English

The following principles, while developed in response to the 2005 tsunami, can and should be considered for any emergency setting to guide psychosocial programming.

2005 | United States Department of Health & Human Services [HHS] | 3

English

This document gives a brief description of how children at different stages of development may react to disaster in the short and long term.

2005 | Comfort for Kids | 105

English

This resource is intended for parents, teachers, and everyone working to help children and families make sense of a world where the forces of nature and man can unleash a fury in which buildings

2004 | Inter-agency Working Group on Unaccompanied and Separated Children

English

The principle of family unity – or integrity of the family – states that all children have a right to a family, and families have a right to care for their children. Children separated from their parents and families because of conflict, population displacement or natural disasters are among the most vulnerable. Unaccompanied and separated children must be provided with services aimed at reuniting them with their parents or primary legal or customary caregivers as quickly as possible.

2001 | United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR] | 76 p

English

This book was written with several groups in mind. It is primarily for UNHCR's staff, but it is also for the staff of its operational partners, whether they be voluntary organizations, UN agencies or Governments. Each chapter takes a subject, such as Legal Status or Psychosocial Well-being, and discusses it from the point of view of children's needs and rights. Generalists working in the field will be able to gain an overview of a subject as well as guidance for addressing specific problems.

1998 | Save the Children

English

Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch in Central America, a consortium of NGOs issued a communiqué calling for all responses to ensure children were not separated from family or community and that unaccompanied children be reintegrated in their family, their community or substitute homes in their country. The signatories asserted temporary placement of children in families abroad as well as intercountry adoption were not adequate assistance measures for children in the event of a natural disaster.

1994 | The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR]

English

Pan American Health Organization [PAHO]

Recommendations for the Care of Children in Emergencies (English) |

La atención de los niños y las niñas durante emergencias (Spanish)

During emergencies, the physical well-being and health of children are at greater risk due to the constraints on mobilizing them swiftly. However, preparations to meet a possible disaster and the decisions made for the proper and timely protection of children before, during, and after such an event can be decisive in safeguarding their health, and averting further suffering and physical or emotional harm.

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