New UNHCR Policy on handling Milk Products

The revised edition of the UNHCR Policy Related to the Acceptance, Distribution, and Use of Milk Products in Refugee Settings is now available. The 2006 version replaces the 1989 version and was produced by UNHCR in consultation with the ENN, the Infant Feeding in Emergencies (IFE) Core Group (UNICEF, UNHCR, WHO, WFP, IBFAN-GIFA, CARE, Tdh, ENN) and the Institute of Child Health, London.

This version is based on WHO's documents on infant and young child feeding¹, as well as the 2006 Operational Guidance for Emergency Relief Staff and Programme Managers on Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies produced by the IFE Core Group.

In a recent global meeting on IFE held in Oxford 1-2 November 2006 (see meeting summary this issue), it was recommended that the UNHCR's milk product policy be considered and adopted by UN agencies (specifically UNICEF, WFP and WHO) as a UN common Milk Products Policy in refugees and expanded to apply also to other emergency situations.

The document is available in English and French on UNHCR's Website under Publications/Partnership/Guidelines/Resourc es for Partnerships in Health and Nutrition and on the ENN website, www.ennonline.net.

For further information on the UNHCR policy, contact: Fathia Abdalla, email: ABDALLAF@unhcr.org

If your agency is considering revising or producing a policy on handling milk products and you would like to co-ordinate this effort with other agencies, contact the IFE Core Group, via Marie McGrath, ENN, email: ife@ennonline.net

¹Guiding principles for feeding non-breastfed children 6-24 months of age; Guiding principles for complementary feeding of breastfed children 6-24 months of age; Guiding principles for infant and young child feeding in emergencies. Available at http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/infantfeeding/en/index.html