Problem assessment: Children constitute 61% of refugee population. They continue facing protection risks including neglect, abuse, exploitation including child labour, forced recruitment and lack of access to services which remains a challenge in the refugee camps and settlements. Therefore, there is need to strengthen child protection mechanisms to prevent and respond to abuse against children. The community foster care mechanisms are still weak and do not provide sustainability. In Unity, over 60% of new arrivals are children in order to pursue education due to lack of functioning education system in South Kordofan after years of conflict in the area. They are exposed to various protection risks including separation from families, abuse, exploitation, SGBV, child labour. In Upper Nile, children face ricks including early and forced marriages, teenage pregnancies, and denial of education particularly for girls and children with disabilities. Other forms of abuse (physical, emotional), corporal punishment, domestic violence and female genital mutilation (FGM) are also prevalent. Increased number of unaccompanied and separated children (UASC), harmful and discriminatory traditional practices also continue to pose protection risks to vulnerable children and youth. In Yambio, children and adolescent girls and boys with specific needs continue to have limited access to services. In Lasu refugee settlement, according to current assessment, children are not receiving child protection services due to the security condition in the area.
Comprehensive response: In Unity, case management will be improved. Best Interest Assessment (BIA) will be conducted for 100% of children facing medium and high protection risks. Targeted assistance will be provided to children at risk including 30 children with disabilities. Training will be conduced for 500 foster parents and caregivers. In Upper Nile, 2019 Youth Strategy will be implemented to guide child and youth protection programme. Recreational and psychosocial activities will be managed through child and youth centers in refugee camps. Two dedicated facilitators per youth center will be recruited. In Yei, in close collaboration with ICRC, UNHCR will establish the Family Tracing and Reunification (FTR) mechanism and standard operation procedure for FTR will be elaborated. Community based child protection mechanism will be also enhanced. Best interest procedures as a critical tool for children and youth protection response will be strengthened including continuous training for UNHCR and partner staff. Child protection case management will be prioritized, and trained case managers will be deployed in the refugee camp. Linkages with South Sudan’s Commission for Refugee Affairs and implementing partners will be strengthened. UNHCR will also enhance the psychosocial support and establish child friendly spaces in Lasu refugee settlement.
Prioritized response: Capacity of existing community structures will be enhanced in order to report and help responding to child protection cases. UNHCR will also strengthen linkages with the line ministries and provide critical support and capacity building to enable them to respond to child protection cases. In Upper Nile, identification, verification, and documentation of vulnerable children will be conducted. 20 caseworkers will be recruited to achieve minimum standards in case management. Child friendly spaces in Makpandu refugee settlement will be maintained to ensure children have access to safe learning environment and basic skills. Support to the Child Transit Centre (CTC) at Yambio for family reunification and rehabilitation of LRA rescued family members will be extended through psychosocial care, transportation and medical and material assistance. Refresher training will be conducted for Community Child Protection Committees (CPPCs), children’s groups and primary school teachers as well as training on children’s rights. Advocacy and Child protection rapid assessment will be conducted at Lasu refugee settlement and psychosocial support intervention for refugee children will be enhanced. The protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) component will be closely followed up and integrated in Code of Conduct of teachers.