Field Note: Innovative Hygiene Corner in Latin America in migration response

This field note shares the innovative experience of Hygiene Tents, Casitas or Hygiene Corners as a modality of humanitarian response of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) for refugees and migrants in transit at host communities in Latin America region, specifically in the hygiene response area. Through constant needs assessment in the migration scenario, and the implementation of principles of accountability to affected populations, done by beneficiaries and humanitarian staff from UNICEF and its partners Pure Water for the World (PWW) in Honduras, Fundación Halüand Fundación para el Saneamiento, Ambiente, Higiene, Emprendimiento y Desarrollo Sostenible(SAHED)in Colombia, and Operación Bendiciónin Mexico,it was evident that through traditional delivery of personal hygiene kits, not all items were carried by beneficiaries in their route, thereby discarding, or reselling those less useful.1Through direct observation, the following information was gathered and analyzed:

•Gradual consumption of hygiene kit items during the migratory route

• Specific requests of beneficiaries for smaller hygiene products to ease transport

•Disposal of supplies before border crossings.

This situation indicated the convenience to shift towards delivery of hygiene items by demand. In addition, the disposal of supplies received through hygiene kits negatively influence waste management due to accumulated waste on migratory routes, affecting the humanitarian principle of 'do no harm'. Thus, intersectoral coordination is implemented to reduce the number of hygiene kits delivered ("zero kits") on migratory routes. Finally, Hygiene Tents, Casitas or Hygiene Corners provide cost-effectiveness in humanitarian response, addressing potential donor and government fatigue in the face of multiple humanitarian crises and their financial impacts.