Attachments
Protection context
In April 2024 the Government of Zambia issued a Drought response requiring 941M US$ for assistance to 6.6M people. The protection Sector was activated under the co-leadership of the Ministry of Community Development and Social Service and UNHCR.
The protection strategy encompasses multi-sectoral GBV services, providing affected individuals with access to mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), medical care, legal assistance, safe shelters, and livelihood support. It also targets GBV risk mitigation, prevention, and rights-based awareness for women, girls, and boys.
The protection sector response strategy in 21 districts aims to enhance safety and well-being for affected children and families, focusing on a broad range of protection issues. This includes raising awareness, capacity building, support to multi-sectorial gender-based violence (GBV) services, sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), and the importance of community-based mental health and psychosocial support, such as psychological first aid.
In collaboration with Social Protection, the strategy aims to provide livelihood options to about 25 per cent of families with children at risk of adverse conditions like violence, early marriage, and school dropout, to foster resilience and prevent negative coping mechanisms.