Update of current humanitarian response regarding Child protection

1. Update of current humanitarian response regarding Child protection Child Protection Sub-cluster South Sindh

2. Relief/Response ActivitiesNote: The relief and response activities correspond to what is being implemented in the IDP camps

3. Relief/Response Activities Overall Situation Analysis and Needs • The pre-existing extreme poverty in Sindh, as well as reduction of assistance to population in IDP camps including recreational and educational activities is contributing to increase of child begging, early marriage & child labor. • Government has ordered camp closure in Jamshoro district where assistance such as transport to be provided both by government and agencies. • Small number of camps still functional. Number of IDPs is dropping daily but some IDPs, including children, are returning to camps. These multiple displacements is a risk factor regarding the psycho-social well-being of children and families. • The returning of IDPs to their place of origin is continuing in all districts in South Sindh. Return need to be organized in a way to prevent increase in family separation, violence and abuse as well as child trafficking.

4. Relief/Response Activities Provision of services The list below presents an overall view of current provision of child protection services in some of the remaining IDP camps in South Sindh. The coverage and scope is minimal. • Child Friendly Spaces • CP committees and social network monitoring of issues • NFI distribution • Referral to legal aid and other services • CP awareness • CP mainstreaming into other sectors

5. Relief/Response Activities Cluster’s ResponseCompleted and ongoing activities • Coordination mechanisms – i. completed • Rapid protection assessment in the IDP camps regarding protection, child protection and GBV. • Advocacy and proposal writing on winterization NFIs for the most vulnerable including children with Shelter cluster. • Training session on CP to members of PWG as well as focal points of other working groups. • Advocacy for access and mainstreaming of CP into other sectors’ response. Cont….

6. Relief/Response Activities Cluster’s ResponseCompleted and ongoing activities • Coordination mechanism – ii. ongoing • The protection working groups in three districts in South Sindh are functional and deal with child protection response to cases in the remaining IDP camps. • Advocacy with government, CCCM & OCHA for measures for safe return from IDP camps to village of return. • Advocacy on needs of vulnerable IDP children’s. • PWG is instrumental in establishing referral mechanisms and pathways between organizations. • Regular referral to other clusters of protection issues including child protection. Cont….

7. Relief/Response Activities Cluster’s ResponseCompleted and ongoing activities B) Assistance for prevention and response regarding child protection – i. completed • Over 100 static child friendly spaces in IDP camps and 100 locations in camps serviced by mobile child friendly spaces with recreational and non-formal education activities. • Over 100 CP committees and social network monitoring of CP issues. • Referral to legal aid and other services through helplines. • Group and individual counselling for vulnerable population including children (mostly Thatta district). • Campaign/awareness on birth registration & Child labour. Cont….

8. Relief/Response Activities Cluster’s ResponseCompleted and ongoing activities B) Assistance for prevention and response regarding child protection – ii. ongoing • Child Friendly Spaces in some of remaining IDP camps. • CP committees and social network monitoring of CP issues in some of the remaining camps. • NFI distribution to the most vulnerable in camps including children. • Referral to legal aid and other services through helpline. • Elaboration and dissemination of CP messages in IDP camps including during awareness sessions in coordination with CFS/CP flotilla. Cont….

9. Relief/Response Activities Overall Gap in Sindh Province • Even if awareness for mainstreaming child protection in different sectors’ response is being noticed, greater coordinated efforts need to be done by CP sub-cluster to capture achievements and identify where improvements need to be done. • Distribution of NFI for children and recreational material (i.e clothes & shoes). • As the remaining IDP camps are soon to be closed, a coordinated response and assistance for IDPs returning to place of origin as well as identification of measures to put in place during movement of population in order to prevent increased of family separation, abuse & trafficking is still needed. Cont….

10. Relief/Response Activities Future Plans/Planned Activities • Maintain the activities in the camps regarding monitoring and referral through committees and social networks. • Coordinate with other sectors to consider psycho-social well-being of children in service delivery. • Collaborate to coordination efforts from UNHCR, CCCM, OCHA and government in view of protective return to villages of origin. • Collaborate to coordination efforts in places of return to help preventing IDPs returning to relief camps.

11. Early Recovery ActivitiesNote: The early recovery activities correspond to what is being implemented in the villages of return

12. Early Recovery Activities CP sub-Cluster’s Early Recovery Strategy Considering the evolution of the realities on the ground: • Identification of root causes and appropriate solutions to be put in place such considering the overall situation such as the status of livelihoods as well as cultural factors. • Role and empowerment of communities to be central. • Support to families to gradually rebuild their capacities to respond to the needs of their own children. • Build on and enhance existing assets such as cultural, physical, organizational, social, etc. as to guarantee a protective environment for children • Establish sustainable child protection monitoring mechanism including referral system. • Advocacy for the promotion and sustained rights of boys and girls. Cont….

13. Early Recovery Activities Cluster’s Early Recovery Strategy Concretely: • Build on existing social mobilization efforts such as from the education cluster but also the IOM initiative supporting human network at village level in order to assess the critical child protection issues in the different localities, raise awareness through a communication strategy as well ensure monitoring and referral. • Develop synergy with the education sector regarding the soft component of protection in schools. • Continue, when needed, to implemented psychosocial support through the shift from camps/establishment of CFS – while evolving towards strengthening pre-existing or newly established services such as school, sport clubs, religious activities, etc. • Train and network with initiatives with all the other sectors such as Public health, housing, etc. at local and global levels.

14. Early Recovery Activities Overall Situation Analysis and Needs • The integrated programmatic approach required for the early recovery and reconstruction phase urge clusters and government counterparts to work even more closely. • The returning of IDPs to their place of origin is continuing in all districts in South Sindh. • Collection of up-to-date information and monitoring of the situation regarding children returning to their community is not regular or systematic. • The pre-existing extreme poverty in South Sindh, as well as the yet very limited introduction of livelihoods programs in areas of return and the impediments regarding second installment of Watan card contribute to increase in child begging, early marriage, child labor as well as reduction of school attendance. • The already scarce number of social services available for referral of PSS cases before flood, as well as the very limited expansion of its services, are hindering the local governments and communities to respond and prevent the increased CP issues due to flood. Cont….

15. Early Recovery Activities Overall Situation Analysis and Needs • Cases of corporal punishment in schools are being reported more frequently in flood affected areas but issue is not receiving the needed attention despite knowing that there is increased need of PSS after emergencies. • There is little strengthening the pre-floods existing social assets in the places of return as to contribute to the safety-net for children at community level. • The integrated programmatic approach, required for the early recovery and reconstruction phase, urge clusters and government counterparts to work even more closely. • Reshuffling of government authorities at district level continues in South Sindh which might affect the continuity regarding the coordination between clusters and government counterparts. • OCHA’s offices in Sindh province will be closing by March 31st and UNDP will take over.

16. Early Recovery Activities Provision

17. Early Recovery Activities Cluster’s ResponseCompleted and ongoing activities A) Coordination mechanism – ongoing • Provincial Protection cluster was created. The protection working groups in three districts in South Sindh are functional and may be in position to act as the interface for the coordination with the protection provincial cluster. • The PWG in districts are building on their capacities developed during the relief phase to address issues of children in the villages of return. • The PWG in all three districts has improved their capacities for better follow-up of action points with members. • Cluster members are taking increased initiatives to coordinate and share information and knowledge as well as to advocate on CP issues with relevant bodies at district level. • Verbal agreement that the section on protection from the HI/ACF assessment including children and disabilities in Thatta district be available to all PWG members for further use. Cont….

18. Early Recovery Activities Cluster’s ResponseCompleted and ongoing activities • Support for proposal writing on referral mechanisms and livelihood initiatives for the most vulnerable including children to be submitted to ERF for funding. • Planning & providing training sessions on CP to members of PWG as well as focal points of other working groups. • Advocacy with government and agencies/INGO on needs of vulnerable population including children’s as well as need for additional provision of services especially in Jamshoro district. • The PWG is instrumental to consolidate a referral mechanism between the organizations. Regular referral between the members as well as to other clusters (on child protection issues). • Ad hoc coordination with other sectors for mainstreaming of CP into other sectors. • Establishment of collaboration mechanisms with CP for GBV mapping. Inputs for CP inclusion in the questionnaires to be used for mapping.

19. Early Recovery Activities Cluster’s ResponseCompleted and ongoing activities B) Assistance for prevention and response regarding child protection i. completed • NFI distribution of winter kits to most vulnerable children / families including blankets and clothes (in a lesser quantity). • Field testing of draft CP messages included in the communication strategy with different audiences. Compilation of feedback completed. Messages to be used for community awareness and mass communication (i.e. FM Radio, street theatre, awareness sessions ).

20. Early Recovery Activities Cluster’s ResponseCompleted and ongoing activities B) Assistance for prevention and response regarding child protection ii. ongoing • Around 80 static child friendly spaces in villages of return and over 200 locations serviced by mobile child friendly spaces with recreational and non-formal education activities. A number have projected to operate as community centres or ECC and the planning of new community centres is progressing. • Individual and groups counselling being offered to the most vulnerable by a few agencies mostly in Thatta. • CP committees in more than 300 localities as well as verbal agreement with IOM to build on their community mobilization network for CP awareness. Birth registration is one of the issues that is being addressed. • Skill building for more than 350 women with projection of expansion of programs. Cont….

21. Early Recovery Activities Cluster’s ResponseCompleted and ongoing activities • Approval and/or elaboration of integrated proposal where CP is both a cross-cutting issue as well as include specific CP activities as community and specialized psycho-social support. • Safe space for women and/or vocational training and income generating activities for women in Dadu and Thatta. Program should be expanding.

22. Early Recovery Activities Overall Gap in Sindh Province • Disruption of services in the areas of return and lack of coverage capacity and resources including information about situation and assistance. • The tool to be used for UC ranking with OCHA do not contemplate any indicator regarding child protection as well as the village profiling exercise. • No comprehensive harmonized response to prevent or to address child protection issues, such as child labour and early marriage - including rehabilitation of livelihoods - has been coordinated between all different sectors. • Collection of up-to-date information and monitoring of the situation regarding children returning to their community is not regular or systematic and no standard instrument is being used.

23. Early Recovery Activities Future Plans/Planned Activities • Considering the new ERWG structure, mainstreaming protection / child protection in all sectors. In this regard: • Include CP mainstreaming indicators in all sectors of the SRF. • Mainstream training on CP in all sectors where the communication messages will be a key tool to standardize approaches. • Education sector as entry point for psychosocial impacts, inclusion of children with disabilities, violence and abuse and prevention of child labour. • Livelihood & food and agriculture sectors as entry points to prevent and respond to worse form of child labour and for children without primary caregivers / voluntary separation. • Health and nutrition as entry point for prevention and response to child marriage, violence and abuse, and psychosocial impacts. • Community infrastructure, housing and public health sectors as entry points for flood related hazards and children with disabilities. • Governance sector as entry point for law implementation on birth registration, trafficking, early marriage and children in conflict with the law. Cont….

24. Early Recovery Activities Future Plans/Planned Activities • Considering the current CP initiatives & programs, in addition to implementation of current provisions: • Support Social Welfare Departments/Ministry to advocate with other ministries/departments to ensure children’s rights and that CRC is being used commonly. • Rolling out of the CP communication strategy should be tied with other initiatives such as IOM community mobilization, UNICEF-CP C4D, etc. and should ensure increased provision of social services when needed for effective and sustainable results. • Monitoring and referral system should build on pre-existing systems and structures i.e education committees, etc. • Advocacy and support elaboration of project proposal for integrated projects with CP mainstreaming especially for the North of Jamshoro district.

25. Critical Issues (if any) • Scale of the needs and outreach challenges • Not much done so far on integrated strategy. • Lack of social services in areas of return. • Limited dissemination and use of incident reporting format to further identify trends and patterns and increase access to evidence-based data. • 2nd installment of Watan card not operational which limits family’s capacities to respond to their immediate needs while sustainable livelihood strategies & programs are being put in place.