Attachments
Introduction: General overview of the context
An estimated 435,000 people have fled their homes in search of safety and security due to armed conflict and escalating violence since mid-2014. Among the identified IDPs, 79% were displaced in the past 18 months as a result of the recent Libyan civil war, whilst 13% have been displaced since 2011, and 9% between 2012 and mid-2014. Around 33,600 IDPs left their area of former residence during 2011; most of them came from Tawergha, a town some 40 kilometers to the South-East of Misratah and settled mostly in Tripoli and Benghazi.
Despite having IDPs originating from the area, Benghazi also receives IDPs originating from elsewhere, and particularly Tawerghans . It is estimated that Benghazi hosts more than a quarter of the total IDP population in Libya. In the absence of reliable, updated and disaggregated data, it is estimated that in Tripoli and Benghazi alone, approximately 270,000 children are in need of psychosocial support. An in-depth assessment supported by UNICEF found that 65% of the 1,600 children assessed in Tawergha IDPs camps in Tripoli show moderate or severe post-stress symptoms. Underage recruitment into armed groups and fighting forces is also a key concern, with over 25% of key informants in Western Libya, 43% in the East and 90% in the South reporting that children are frequently being recruited.
Alarmingly the out-of-school rate in conflict-affected areas is on the rise. A particular concern are the children in the age group of 15-17 years old. These children are vulnerable to the recruitment by militias and armed groups as well as traffickers and drug dealers.
In Libya, Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) represent between 1,7% (official public figures - 1995) and 15% (WHO global estimate - 2010) of the population. Notably, it is estimated that children under the age of 18 represent 19.2% of the total number of people registered with disabilities.
Reports from different international organizations and Ministry of Education suggest that schools and child friendly spaces (CSF) are damaged, malfunctioning or are used for other purposes, including as a shelter for the IDPs.
The following assessment intended to capture the priority needs of the IDP communities surveyed - a majority of which were Tawerghans - in 9 Libyan sites located in the cities of Tripoli and Benghazi, in order to ascertain the presence of specific vulnerabilities and Protection needs, along with an assessment of the services already in place. With the objective of ensuring adequate mainstreaming of Protection principles in all the sectors covered (respectively: Education, Child Protection, Health, Livelihoods), the assessment examined the access to services for Persons of Concerns and with specific needs. The findings will be used to inform effective planning and action, particularly with regard to Protection assistance and Psycho-social support of IDP children and youth.