As of 31 December 2021, 158,739 CAR refugee children were registered out of which 37,402 were vulnerable (17,990 boys and 19,412 girls). The identification of other vulnerabilities reported :33 unaccompanied children (16 boys and 17 girls), 614 SC-UC. All these children are accommodated in host families and benefit from support. The number of children with special needs registered in the database in 2020 is about 7,345 children (3,751 girls and 3,692 boys). These children are receiving psychosocial support through home visits (15,365 VAD). 422 of them (220 girls and 202 boys) benefited a best interest assessment. 487 children with specific needs (241 boys and 236 girls) received material support consisting of food and non-food items.
To ensure holistic management of cases of children with specific needs, 344 referrals were made for gender-based violence responses, education, vocational training, access to cash transfer, access to birth certificates, etc. 10 children (03 girls and 07 boys) were placed with host families. Host families benefited 923 coaching sessions which helped to strengthen the supervisory capacities of 495 heads of families.
Prevention was mainly ensured through 462 sensitization sessions with the participation of 41,817 people (11,328 men, 12,449 women, 9,974 boys and 9,066 girls). The community response was provided by 14 parent committees as well as the Local Protection Committees. The protection partner (IMC) carried out 296 meetings with parent committees. The Sub-prefects of Kadéy and Boumba and Ngoko took decisions to set up 25 Local Protection Committees.
The Best Interest Determination Panel met 09 times (03 in each region) to adjudicate on 53 cases. 20 cases aimed at guaranteeing the family unity of the children and permitted to achieve 16 family reunifications (11 at the national level and 05 at the international level). The closure of borders by some states due to the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic has not allowed the family reunification of 04 children. 17 cases of separated children seeking voluntary repatriation were presented to the DIS panel for the search for durable solutions.
02 training sessions were organized for social workers on case management and the community protection approach. 16 facilitators (09 men and 07 women) were trained in monitoring vulnerable children and birth registration procedures.
All these activities were carried out in close collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MINAS). This collaboration permitted to carry out 03 coordination meetings chaired by the Regional Delegates of Social Affairs as well as 02 joint MINAS / HCR / IMC supervisions of child protection activities. 01 assessment mission of the local protection committees set up by MINAS was carried out in the Adamaoua region to identify their strengths and weaknesses with a view to developing the strategies for the improvement of performance of the community protection mechanism. This collaboration was raised at the municipal level by the organization of 19 operational meetings in order to ensure the consistency of the actions undertaken by protection partners.