Guidance Including children with disabilities in humanitarian action: Preparedness response and early recovery, recovery and reconstruction

The purpose of Including Children with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action is to strengthen the inclusion of children and women with disabilities, and their families, in emergency preparedness, response and early recovery, and recovery and reconstruction. This series of booklets provides insight into the situation of children with disabilities in humanitarian contexts, highlights the ways in which they are excluded from humanitarian action, and offers practical actions and tips to better include children and adolescents with disabilities in all stages of humanitarian action.

The booklets were created in response to UNICEF colleagues in the field expressing a need for a practical resource to guide their work. The information and recommendations are based on evidence and good practices gathered from literature and field staff experiences.

The six booklets on how to include children and adolescents with disabilities in humanitarian programmes are as follows: 1) general guidance; 2) child protection; 3) education; 4) health and HIV/AIDS; 5) nutrition; 6) water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).

The actions and practical tips are relevant across various humanitarian contexts:

● Rapid-onset disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, typhoons or tsunamis;

● Slow-onset disasters, such as drought or famine;

● Health emergencies, such as the Ebola epidemic;

● Forced displacement, including refugees and internally displaced persons;

● Armed conflicts, including protracted crises.