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Somalia

Somali Children’s Voices: quarter 2&3 2024

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INTRODUCTION

Given that Children represent over 60% of crisis-affected populations in Somalia, their voices are a fundamental element of humanitarian response aimed at addressing their needs, the Child Protection Area of Responsibility in Somalia together with key partners developed a child centered methodology, The aim was to understand perceptions around violence against children, factors affecting children’s help-seeking behaviors and access to services, and their aspirations for the future.

CPAoR collaborated with the global CPAoR, UNICEF and key child protection partners with a solid understanding of the context to coordinate and to identify priority themes for engagement and participation of girls and boys. This was achieved with considerable support from technical and operational partners based in Jubaland, Middle and Lower Shabelle regions as well as the support of the Child Protection sub-cluster coordinators in the three regions and the Ministry of family and human rights development who accepted to pilot the methodology. Some partners contributed to this exercise without additional funding, showing remarkable dedication to children’sparticipationandensuringtheyinformtheactionsofhumanitarianactors. This report highlights findings from Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) conducted in Somalia throughout 2024. These discussions were part of Child Protection Situation Monitoring initiatives supported by U-Report and the Child Protection Area of Responsibility (CPAoR). The findings reflect the lived experiences of children across various regions and propose actionable recommendations that inform humanitarian planning by government officials, non-governmental organisations, and humanitarian coordination. This report demonstrates the importance of addressing these multifaceted challenges to secure a brighter future for Somalia’s children while enhancing their meaningful participation in humanitarian response.