Haiti's Greatest Resource: Ensuring the Participation of Children & Young People in Recovery Efforts

This note provides basic guidance to those striving to engage children and young people in the humanitarian efforts in Haiti.  In the aftermath of the Asian tsunami, UNICEF developed The Participation of Children and Young People in Emergencies: A guide for relief agencies, based largely on experiences in the Asian tsunami response.  The following includes extracts from this Guide which should be timely and useful in incorporating strategies for the participation of children and young people in the response across all sectors.  The note begins with some key trends in the youth demographic in Haiti, lists some of the ways in which the participation of children and young people has already been included in current planning efforts UN Flash Appeal, 15 Jan 2010), and offers aspects from the Participation Guide on concrete and feasible ways for involving this significant age group.