news

January 21, 2010
WRA Responds to Haiti Tragedy

The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood (WRA) is deeply saddened by the recent tragedy in Haiti. Untold numbers of women, infants and their families are suffering in ways most of us cannot imagine.  As a resource and support for our members, partners, friends and anyone working in Haiti in this time of crisis, WRA offers key best practice documents and guidelines that address the protection of women and babies in emergencies.

In order to provide WRA individual members a way to contribute to the relief effort, we are also including web links to WRA member organizations’ web pages so that individuals can make donations in support of the on the ground response in Haiti.

We sincerely commend the work of WRA members working in Haiti, and the response of WRA members across the globe that are finding their own way to help through raising funds, collecting and sending equipment and supplies, or even volunteering their time or skills to support relief efforts. And this is the spirit of WRA: wherever we live, whatever the situation, we can each play our part to help make safe motherhood a reality for all.

The following are resources about caring for women and babies in emergencies:

World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action: Fact Sheet on Feeding Babies in Emergencies
Do you know that donationsof baby foods could do more harm than good?  Click here to download this fact sheet that highlights the importance of protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding in emergency situations.

Protecting Infants in Emergencies: Information for the Media 
A two page flyer outlining how the media can help protect and support appropriate and safe infant and young child feeding in emergencies.  Click to download the flyer in English or in French.
Women and Infants Service Package (WISP)
WISP is a set of guidelines developed by a group of partners (including the WRA) that identify key needs and other issues for consideration for a wide-range of disaster scenarios.  The goal of WISP is to ensure that the health care needs of pregnant women, new mothers, fragile newborns, and infants are adequately met during and after a disaster. Emergency planners and maternal-newborn health providers can adapt the guidelines to their needs.  Click here to download the WISP.
 
UNICEF, WHO AND WFP Joint Statement on Infant and Young Child Feeding in Haiti 
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. Click here to download the statement.
 
Additional resources are available through technical groups including the Inter-agency Working Group (IAWG) on Reproductive Health in Crises
 
If you are interested in donating to the relief effort, the following WRA Member Organizaitons are accepting contributions:
Care Australia

Haiti Hospital Appeal
IPPF

JHPIEGO  

Midwives for Haiti

UNFPA