Why is nurturing care important in humanitarian settings?

The early years in a child’s life are critical in building a foundation for optimal development through a stable and nurturing environment, as described in the Nurturing Care Framework.

However, infants and young children in humanitarian settings face massive challenges to survive and, even more so, to thrive. As the number of crisis-affected people continues to rise, so does the proportion of future generations who experience the severe distress of displacement and conflict. When children are deprived of opportunities to develop, the ability of families, communities andeconomies to flourish is limited.