IYCF-E Deployment: 7 October-4 November 2016
Reason for request:
Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti on October 4, 2016 and devastated homes, harvests, and infrastructure in five departments in southern Haiti. After the hurricane, the Governmental Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC) of Haiti confirmed 546 deaths and 438 injured. More than 75% of the population were affected by the hurricane. A total of 1.4 million people required humanitarian assistance, including 546,000 women of reproductive age and 112,500 children under five. In some affected communes, up to 100% of harvests have been destroyed by the hurricane, threatening household food security. The World Food Program (WFP) announced that there were nearly 806,000 people at extreme levels of food insecurity due to the impact of the hurricane. This, coupled with water supply shortages and cholera epidemics, increases the risk of disease and malnutrition, especially in children under 2 years of age.
A Tech RRT Advisor was deployed to help design the IYCF-E response through assessing priority needs and to strengthen the capacity of nutrition stakeholders to deliver the response.
Outcome:
- A joint IYCF statement was developed and disseminated in coordination with stakeholders and the nutrition cluster
- A rapid IYCF Assessment was conducted to better understand the impact of the hurricane on infant and young child feeding practices. Results helped pinpoint priority needs for IYCF emergency interventions and identify the most effective measures to improve IYCF practices for children under two years of age
- Results of the assessment as well as the key IYCF messages were presented to health officials and NGO partners for validation and discussion
- An IYCF emergency response plan and a key IYCF messages cheat sheet was developed and shared with all partners