Infant Feeding in Emergencies (IFE) Core Group
The IFE Core Group is an interagency collaboration on infant and young child feeding in emergencies (IFE/IYCF-E) that connects practitioner experiences with policy and guidance development.
Current members are individuals within UN agencies, NGOs, academics, independent agencies and individuals. ENN is the coordinating agency and produces IFE Core Group publications.
Since 1999, the IFE Core Group has produced a number of resources and undertaken a range of activities to support safe and appropriate IFE (see below). Members also lead on initiatives informed by and shared with the collective.
In October 2017, ENN and UNICEF co-led an IFE Core Group update of the established Operational Guidance on Infant Feeding in Emergencies (version 3.0, October 2017) funded by OFDA. The updated version incorporates the latest technical guidance, is informed by recent emergency experiences and has most extensive content on emergency preparedness and cross sectoral collaboration.
An ENN-hosted meeting in early December began the process of identification of collective plans for rollout and dissemination (report available early February 2018).
The guideline 'HIV and Infant Feeding in Emergencies: Operational Guidance' has been developed by WHO and UNICEF in collaboration with ENN, to outline the duration of breastfeeding and support from health services to improve infant feeding practices among mothers living with HIV.
IFE Core Group members
Membership comprises named individuals with responsibility for strategic oversight and operations related to infant and young child feeding in emergencies. They may be independent or associated with an agency. Current members of the IFE Core Group are:
Individual members: Karleen Gribble, Marko Kerac
IFE Core Group areas of activity
The IFE Core Group’s work involves development of policy guidance and capacity building tools, experience capture on infant and young child feeding in emergency response and promotion of policy and practice change in the context of preparedness and response.
The IFE Core Group strategic areas of activity are:
- Advocacy on infant and young child feeding in emergencies within and external to agencies, across sectors and from policy level to field practice
- Capturing experiences and extracting lessons from emergency response and reflecting these in policy guidance updates and resource development
- Supporting appropriate, consistent communication in general media and statements
- Identifying policy, guidance and research gaps and highlighting these to policy makers/researchers and relevant organisations and agencies
- ‘Stop gapping’ policy and guidance where there are outstanding and critical gaps in guidance from normative agencies
- Dissemination of key resources
- Peer to peer support for members to help put operational guidance into practice and address challenges,
- Participation in global initiatives and forums around improving emergency response, such as the Global Nutrition Cluster, The Sphere Project, en-net technical form and various trainings
The IFE Core Group does not directly implement programmes.
IFE Core Group resources and outputs
Infant and young child feeding in emergencies: Operational guidance for emergency relief staff and programme managers. Version 3.0. October 2017. 
Story of Change: ENN’s role in the development of the Operational Guidance on Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies 
Infant Feeding in Emergencies (IFE) Making it Matter: Report of an international strategy meeting (2006) 
Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies: Making it Happen. Report of a regional workshop on IFE
Model joint statement on IFE
How to write and talk about infant and young child feeding in emergencies
Background information for communications experts on infant & young child feeding in emergencies
Talking about IYCF and child age: a briefing
Orientation Package on IFE, v2.1, 2010. English.
Complementary feeding in emergencies. A review of training resources and needs. October, 2009
Follow up report of regional workshop on IFE. 2009
Key messages on IFE - for mothers and caregivers. English and French
Protecting infants in emergencies: the role of the public. IFE Core Group.
World Breastfeeding Week, 2009. 'Breastfeeding, a vital emergency response: are you ready?'
IFE Core Group Strategy Meeting Report, November, 2010
Please see our resources section for more IFE resources.
Feedback and support
In order to develop and update the policy guidance and training materials, your feedback is vital. Any experiences of using the materials in training, gaps in the materials, or issues around infant feeding in emergences that you wish to share with us, are welcome.
IFE Core Group Funding
Each member identifies their own funds to support their individual engagement in the IFE Core Group. At a minimum, participation will require advocacy, lesson sharing and indentifying gaps.
Additional funds, either sourced through individual agencies or secured as a collective, are identified to undertake specific activities. Additional capacity to undertake activities may be available within member agencies or may need to be expanded, e.g. attaching a consultant to an agency to undertake work.
Contact the IFE Core Group
IFE Core Group
c/o Emergency Nutrition Network
32 Leopold Street
Oxford
OX4 1TW
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1865 324996/249745
Fax: +44 (0)1865 324997
Email: Marie McGrath
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