The UNICEF East-Asia and Pacific Regional Office developed a Nutrition in Emergencies (NiE) toolkit for Nutrition personnel engaged in Nutrition emergency preparedness work and implementation of Nutrition responses.

This NiE toolkit aims to provide “how to” guidance by compiling key considerations on a wide range of NiE technical competencies. It contains materials and tools developed and used during emergencies sustained in the EAP region with for example, the Nutrition Emergency Preparedness and Response plan from the Philippines, an example of questionnaire from Indonesia used for inter-agency initial rapid assessment of needs, an example of communication materials used in Vanuatu to promote key Nutrition messages, an example of proposal for resources mobilization from Myanmar, to name only a few.

The NiE toolkit manual summarizes key concepts and outlines main NiE actions that are commonly required throughout the different phases of the emergency management cycle. The toolkit proposes practical tools, checklists and templates such as a planning check list for multiple micronutrient powder (MNP) program intervention for example.

As much as possible the toolkit also intends to capture latest developments in certain specific technical areas compiled in short briefing notes. The toolkit includes links to many reference materials drawn from global resources and refers the user to existing tools and training modules such as the Harmonized Training Package (HTP), Save the Children CMAM and IYCF-E toolkits, the Global Nutrition Cluster toolkits, the Global UNICEF NiE toolkit, and more. All references have embedded web-links making the user a few clicks away from the desired tool, briefing note or template.

For most countries of the EAPR, Nutrition Emergency Preparedness and Response planning is done through strengthening local government capacities, health systems and existing service delivery platforms to provide nutrition services that address notably micronutrient deficiencies; protect, support, promote Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices; and treat children affected by acute malnutrition. Strengthening existing coordination mechanisms, strengthening local health systems at normal times will maximize health systems’ capacity not only to cope with disasters and shocks but also to implement timely and effectively Nutrition responses at times of emergency. Therefore, this NiE toolkit aims at being widely accessible and is intended to be a living package. 

A NiE toolkit webinar was recorded and both presentation and recording are available on the UNICEF ONE drive sharepoint system (Unicef personel only, link here), and the full NiE toolkit manual is available here.