What is child protection:
Child protection is the ‘prevention of and response to abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence against children.” Children are particularly vulnerable during a humanitarian crisis, which is often characterized by chaos and confusion. As children are dependent on adults for safety and meeting basic needs, if anything happens to their primary caregivers, or if they get lost or separated, they can be exposed to increased risk of harm.
Priority objectives during the first phase of an emergency:
- To ensure that girls and boys are safe where they live, learn and play.
- To strengthen the capacity of children to participate in their own protection.
- To give girls and boys child-friendly access to asylum, refugee and other legal procedures, and to essential documents. Child friendly means that people explain things in easy to understand ways that children understand, and that all of their needs are always considered important.
- To ensure that girls and boys with specific needs (such as disabilities) receive appropriate help.
Risks facing refugee children:
The child protection risks children face include family separation, recruitment into armed forces or groups, physical or sexual abuse, psychosocial distress or mental disorders from trauma, economic exploitation, injury and even death. They depend on factors such as the:
- Nature and scale of the emergency;
- Number of children affected;
- Sociocultural norms;
- Pre-existing child protection risks;
- Community-level preparedness; and
- Stability and capacity of the State before and during the crisis.
Specific risks for Ukrainian children
As primarily only women and children are allowed to leave Ukraine, many are naturally emotionally and psychologically affected by the separation from their fathers. Without their fathers present, mothers and children are more exposed to the dangers of trafficking or exploitation.
During the bombing, children may get separated from parents and not know what happened to them.
Being forced to leave the safety and stability of one’s home and routines puts increased stress on the family unit that can increase any pre-existing tendencies towards abuse or neglect that may have already been present. Problems such as alcoholism or drug abuse may also be accentuated.
What to do if you find a child who is separated from parents?
“Unaccompanied minors” is the technical term used to refer to children that are travelling by themselves. “Separated minors” are children who were with their parents, but got separated during the war or while travelling. This can happen from getting lost during confusing moments, both before and after crossing the border. It can also happen if parents are killed or injured in the war.
If you find a child that is unaccompanied or separated from parents or caregivers, it is important to immediately involve the child protection authorities (DGASPC) who are present at the border near the “Blue Dot” area. Their priority will be ensure their protection and if separated, to reunite the child with either their parents or other relatives. Never take an unaccompanied or separated minor home with you.
Child protection in humanitarian interventions
Those cooperating in humanitarian intervention and specifically those active in child protection work together to prevent and respond to all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence. During humanitarian crises, timely interventions support the physical and emotional health, dignity, and well-being of children, families and communities.
Child protection in humanitarian action includes specific activities (such as setting up child-friendly spaces) conducted by local, national and international child protection actors. It also includes efforts of non-child protection actors who seek to prevent and address abuse.
Child Protection in Humanitarian Action promotes the well-being and healthy development of children and saves lives.
Source and for more information : Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action ACPHA