1,360 refugees have been provided with legal counseling and assistance since the beginning of 2015
DECEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
Counselling and Detention
- One new arrest incident of a Syrian national was identified in Cairo during December 2015, for a robbery charge and he was cleared of charges. There were no irregular migration incidents on the North Coast during December 2015. A total of 11 Syrians were detained for residency issues in Mansoura, Dakahlia Governorate (a group of 10 on 28 December and one on 29 December). All 11 were referred to the legal partner, and all have been released. All detainees receive humanitarian, social and medical assistance.
Child Protection and SGBV
• Save the Children assisted with specialised and targeted services for the protection of children including psycho-social sessions, recreational activities as well as health awareness underpinned by the HEART approach, and reached 136 girls and boys enrolled in Syria Al-Ghad community school and Bashayer Al-Yasmin community school in Obour City. Psycho-social support and awareness continues to be an integral component for the protection of refugee children in Egypt. This month’s session focussed on raising awareness to children and caregivers on the rights of children and how children that are being discriminated can be protected.
• Recreational activities provide refugee children with a senses of hope and stability of a childhood. To this extend, Save the Children arranged a 9-day long period of events held in Obour City and 6th of October, benefitting 1,263 children and caregivers. A series of closing events for the project were held over nine days in Obour and 6th of October reaching a total of 1,263 children and parents; with children enrolled in various community schools including Tiba community school, Syria Al-Ghad community school and Bashayer Al-Yasmin community school.
• 25 November 2015 marked the start of the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Genderbased Violence Campaign, which run until 10 December and culminated in the International Day of Human Rights). The global theme for this year’s campaign was Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Make Education Safe for All, placing a special focus on young people.
• As part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence Campaign, UNHCR and partners conducted a number of community-based activities including awareness raising on SGBV and recreational group activities, including movies, games, sports activities, theatre performances), fostering coexistence between refugees and host community, and social empowerment. In Obour City, Save the Children conducted an awareness event with 57 children and 30 caregivers on the scope SGBV incidents including sexual exploitation and child abuse.
• 866 Syrian refugee children benefitted from 11 health awareness sessions held by Save the Children in community schools in 6th of October and Obut City. Topics included dental and oral hygiene, nutrition, personal hygiene and first aid in cases of fractures and injuries • Save the Children organised a community-based peer-to-peer programme on the risk of irregular departure by sea, involving 21 parents and 64 children in role plays and post discussions.