Lactnet is a place where we talk about breastfeeding. We seek to avoid 
politics except the sort of politics  that is related to breastfeeding.

Janice's posting was not a political discussion. It was passing on a report 
that during a current emergency, which happens to be in Gaza, that women are 
finding it difficult to continue breastfeeding because of the harsh 
conditions. There are 40 000 or so babies under 6 months in Gaza, rates of 
mixed feeding are high and concerns for the well-being of these babies is 
high. Here on Lactnet it matters not where these babies and their mothers 
live or why the emergency exists. Discussion of infant feeding in the 
emergency in Gaza is entirely appropriate. This is the same as for past 
emergencies like Cyclone Nargis or Sidr or the Wenchuan, Yogyakarta, Java, 
Peru earthquakes or the Indian Ocean Tsunami or other current emergencies 
like the situation in Zimbabwe or DRC. Lactnet is an international group, we 
avoid politics so as to be able to get along with one another but there will 
almost certainly be times when political situations that impinge on 
breastfeeding, such as the emergency in Gaza, will make some feel 
uncomfortable or angry when breastfeeding/infant feeding in this context is 
discussed because of the politics. That's unavoidable but Lactnet is not an 
appropriate place to vent that discomfort or anger.

Given that this year World Breastfeeding Week had a theme of breastfeeding 
in emergencies I think that it is very important for us to take the 
opportunity to take note of what is happening in current emergencies with 
regards IFE so as to be able to make  the impact of WBW are great as 
possible. I'll link again here to the Guide for the Media on Infant Feeding 
in Emergencies 
http://www.ennonline.net/pool/files/ife/ife-media-flyer-final(1).pdf 
(apparently the previous link I gave was broken for the English version). 
The ENN website also has a guide for the general public which contains much 
more detail and resources for people who want to DO SOMETHING to assist 
mothers and babies in emergency situations.
Karleen Gribble (with listmother hat on)
Australia

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