Attachments
195,061 children and caregivers benefited from awarenessraising sessions
12,161 children benefited from case management services
212 child protection community-based structures
Case management
UNHCR’s approach to child protection aims to engage with children to protect them from harm, and ensure that case managers make inclusive decisions together with the children and their caretakers in the children’s best interests. This is done through working closely with families and communities to address child protection concerns and identify solutions.
By the end of December 2023, 80% of the children who received case management services were internally displaced or returnees. The main protection risks faced by children were child labour, child neglect, and violence against children.
During 2023, a total of 12,161 children (3,620 in Q4) received individual case management services. The services included sessions with the children and their caretakers to assess their needs and risks, referrals to specialized service providers (such as education classes, medical services, psychosocial support, and livelihood opportunities for caregivers) where needed, and follow-up plans of action with caregivers and other stakeholders. The plans of action included interventions with teachers and employers, medical and general in-kind assistance, and childfriendly space activities. The case management services holistically address child protection concerns and respond to the needs by coordinating required assistance in line with the best interests of the child.
Awareness-raising
Awareness-raising is a fundamental component of UNHCR’s child protection strategy, as it enhances the community awareness of protection risks faced by children, as well as identifies abusive behaviour towards children. Awareness-raising aims to initiate behavioural change within communities against the normalization of child abuse, recognize and respect the rights of children, empower communities to respond to child protection concerns, and inform caregivers as well as communities in general about the available child protection services.
During 2023, UNHCR and its partners conducted awareness-raising sessions reaching 195,061 persons (148,010 children and 47,051 caregivers), of whom 62,664 were reached in Q4. The sessions were conducted on various topics including the rights of children, violence against children, harmful effects of dropping out of school, child recruitment, child neglect, and mine risk education.
The child protection prevention programmes shifted to curriculum-based interventions in 2023. A total of 161 groups of adolescent children participated in the “Adolescent Empowerment and Life Skills” programme, along with 53 groups of children engaged in “Supporting Children Rights through the Education, the Art and the Media - SCREM” programme. In addition, six groups of female caregivers and one group of male caregivers were established to attend the “Parenting Care” programme in Damascus, Hama and Ar-Raqqa.