Programme guidance: Nutrition of Women and Girls in Humanitarian Settings (EN, ES, FR)

This guidance is intended for nutrition clusters, UNICEF and World Food Programme (WFP) staff, and other practitioners involved in designing or implementing nutrition responses in humanitarian settings. It covers assessments and interventions for pregnant and breastfeeding women and adolescent girls (PBWGs) in these contexts.

This document is organised around five key questions that practitioners must address when designing a nutrition response:

1. What is the nutritional status of PBWGs in this humanitarian context?
2. Which nutrition interventions can best protect the health of vulnerable women and adolescent girls in these settings?
3. Based on the specific humanitarian context, which interventions should be prioritised for these vulnerable groups?
4. How should nutrition interventions for PBWGs be monitored?
5. What additional factors should be considered when planning programs for this population?

This guidance is based on three key documents: 

• The UNICEF Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action.
• The UNICEF Programming Guidance on Maternal Nutrition.
• The WFP Food and Nutrition Handbook.