Child protection

Children pay the highest price of humanitarian crisis. Armed conflict, natural disasters and other emergencies expose millions of girls and boys to unthinkable forms of violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect. Many children are forced to flee their homes, some torn from their parents and caregivers along the way. In conflict, children may be…, Topics, Explosive weapons and remnants of war, Explosive weapons kill and injure thousands of civilians each year, during and after armed conflict. Children account for roughly half of the casualties from explosive ordnance. Child survivors endure staggering physical injury and psychological trauma. But explosive weapons also inflict severe harm on children indirectly: Especially in populated…, Children recruited by armed forces, Thousands of children are recruited and used in armed conflicts across the world. Often referred to as “child soldiers,” these boys and girls suffer extensive forms of exploitation and abuse that are not fully captured by that term. Warring parties use children not only as fighters, but as scouts, cooks, porters, guards, messengers and more. Learn…, Gender-based violence, Gender-based violence is the most pervasive yet least visible human rights violation in the world. It includes physical, sexual, mental or economic harm inflicted on a person because of socially ascribed power imbalances between males and females. It also includes the threat of violence, coercion and deprivation of liberty, whether in public or…, Family separation during crisis, Violent conflicts, natural disasters and other crises force thousands of children from their parents and caregivers each year. Some are separated from their families during the chaos of a humanitarian emergency. Others may be pulled away by parties involved in a violent conflict. Children may be separated from their families for hours, days,…, Mental health and psychosocial support, Children exposed to conflict, natural disasters and other humanitarian crises can suffer severe psychological and social consequences. Mental health and psychosocial support for children affected by emergencies is essential. Learn more, Sexual exploitation and abuse, In areas affected by conflict, natural disasters and other emergencies, people trust aid workers to assist and protect them. The vast majority do so with professionalism and integrity. But some aid workers abuse their position of power through the sexual exploitation and abuse of those who depend on them, including children. These acts are…, What we do, UNICEF is a global leader for child protection in emergencies. We partner with governments, international organizations, and communities themselves to keep children from harm’s way and support those who have experienced violence or abuse. We also develop evidence-based technical standards, guidance and advocacy strategies to arm child protection…, For every child, protection, UNICEF responds to humanitarian emergencies in every corner of the globe., Learn more, Resources, UNICEF Humanitarian Practice UNICEF in Emergencies UNICEF Humanitarian Practice: COVID-19 Technical Guidance Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, 2019  Gender-Based Violence Minimum Standards Toolkit on Unaccompanied and Separated Children Inter-agency Guidelines for Case Management and Child Protection Guidance Note:…

In areas affected by conflict, natural disasters and other emergencies, people trust aid workers to assist and protect them.  The vast majority do so with professionalism and integrity. But some aid workers abuse their position of power through the sexual exploitation and abuse of those who depend on them, including children. These acts are…, UNICEF’s response, Young women fill water containers in a refugee camp in Tanzania in 2015. Young women fill water containers in a refugee camp in Tanzania in 2015. Women and children in emergency settings face the greatest risk of sexual exploitation and abuse. Every year, UNICEF and partners respond to emergencies around the world, with thousands of aid workers…, Safe and accessible reporting, This means that safe, accessible and child-sensitive complaint mechanisms are put  in place for reporting sexual exploitation and abuse in high-risk areas. These mechanisms can include phone hotlines, SMS services, designated focal persons and complaint boxes. Complaint mechanisms are tailored to the local context.  Community mobilization and…, Support and assistance for sexual exploitation and abuse survivors, Through our child protection and gender-based violence programmes, UNICEF supports survivors with holistic age- and gender-appropriate essential services that they can access safely and in confidence, including medical care, safety planning, social services, legal aid, and mental health and psychosocial support ., Enhanced accountability, including investigations, Safe, survivor-centered accountability processes are crucial. UNICEF is working to strengthen the collaboration between child protection workers and investigators so that children who choose to participate in accountability processes are supported and their rights are respected. The IASC Acceleration Plan is adapted within individual countries to…, Learn more, Resources, Publisher Title IASC IASC Plan for Accelerating Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Humanitarian Response at the Country Level UNICEF, IASC UNICEF-IASC Championship Report, 2018 – 2019 IASC Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Website United Nations UN Victim Assistance Protocol United Nations UN Secretary-General Bulletin on…

Millions of children around the world suffer unthinkable distress due to armed conflict, natural disasters and other humanitarian emergencies . They may be forced to flee their homes, some separated from their parents and caregivers along the way. During conflict, they may endure staggering violence, severe injuries and the threat of recruitment…, UNICEF’s response, A group of children gather at an outdoor table to participate in writing and talking activities in the Bahamas in 2019. On 14 September 2019 in the Bahamas, children evacuated after Hurricane Dorian participate in psychosocial support activities as part of a joint programme between UNICEF, the Government of the Bahamas and IsraAID. Mental health…, More from UNICEF, Resources, UNICEF Humanitarian Practice: COVID-19 Technical Guidance I Support My Friends UNICEF Technical Note on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings and Accompanying Field Checklist MHPSS Minimum Service Package Global Multisectoral Operational Framework   for Mental Health and…

Explosive weapons kill and injure thousands of civilians each year, during and after armed conflict. Children account for roughly half of the casualties from explosive ordnance. They are vulnerable for numerous reasons. Armed conflicts are increasingly fought in populated areas, like cities, where children represent a large portion of the…, Learn more, What we do, Children bear no responsibility for war. Yet they suffer its consequences for life. To keep children safe from explosive weapons, UNICEF calls for a global commitment to avoid their use in populated areas. We also support governments and humanitarian actors to reduce the risks that landmines and explosive remnants of war present to children.  …, Latest, Resources, Explosive weapons in populated areas Publisher Title OCHA Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas Ireland Protecting Civilians in Urban Warfare ICRC Explosive Weapons with Wide Area Effects: A Deadly Choice in Populated Areas INEW International Network on Explosive Weapons Landmines and explosive remnants of war Publisher Title IMAS International…

Gender-based violence (GBV) is the most pervasive yet least visible human rights violation in the world. It includes physical, sexual, mental or economic harm inflicted on a person because of socially ascribed power imbalances between males and females. It also includes the threat of violence, coercion and deprivation of liberty, whether in public…, UNICEF’s response, In July 2017, community outreach volunteer Hela, 18, meets with a woman and several children in the Ain Issa camp for internally displaced persons in Syria. In July 2017, community outreach volunteer Hela, 18, meets with a woman and several children in the Ain Issa camp for internally displaced persons in Syria. Women and girls in refugee and…, More from UNICEF, Resources, Key Resources, UNICEF Humanitarian Practice: UNICEF Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies Technical Guidance  Library UNICEF Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies Operational Guide How to Support Survivors of Gender-Based Violence When a GBV Actor is Not Available in Your Area -  IASC GBViE Pocket Guide: A step-by-step guide for humanitarian practitioners GBV Area…, Risk Mitigation, How to Support Survivors of Gender-Based Violence When a GBV Actor is Not Available in Your Area -  IASC GBViE Pocket Guide: A step-by-step guide for humanitarian practitioners IASC Guidelines for Integrating Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action UNICEF and Harvard Humanitarian Initiative:  Measuring Gender-Based Violence Risk…, Prevention, Communities Care: Transforming Lives and Preventing Violence Programme Adolescent Girls Toolkit  My Safety, My Well-being: Equipping Adolescent Girls with Key Knowledge and Skills We are Agents of Change: Adolescent Girls Approaches to Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response in Middle East and North Africa  , Response, How to Support Survivors of Gender-Based Violence When a GBV Actor is Not Available in Your Area - GBV Pocket Guide: A step-by-step guide for humanitarian practitioners UNICEF Humanitarian Practice: UNICEF Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies Technical Guidance  Library UNICEF Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies Operational Guide GBV Area of…, Innovations, Local Women- and Girl-led Organisations   "She Leads the Way": UNICEF's work with local women- and girl-led organisations We Must Do Better: A feminist assessment of the humanitarian aid system's support of women- and girl-led organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic GBViE and Technology Innovative Approaches to Gender-Based Violence Service…

All children have the right to grow up with their families. Children in family environments are generally safer and better cared for, yet violent conflicts, natural disasters and other crises force thousands of girls and boys from their parents and caregivers each year. Some children are separated from their families during the chaos of a…, UNICEF’s response, A father smiles after reuniting with his children at the Cacanda reception centre for refugees in Dundo, northern Angola, in 2017. A father reunites with his children at the Cacanda reception centre for refugees in Dundo, northern Angola, in 2017. UNICEF works around the world to prevent family separation by helping families and communities…, More from UNICEF, Resources, UNICEF Humanitarian Practice: COVID-19 Technical Guidance Inter-Agency Guiding Principles on Unaccompanied and Separated Children Inter-Agency Field Handbook on Unaccompanied and Separated Children Toolkit on Unaccompanied and Separated Children Save the Children’s Alternative Care in Emergencies Toolkit  CPC Learning Network's Alternative Care in…

Thousands of children are recruited and used in armed conflicts across the world. Between 2005 and 2022, more than 105,000 children were verified as recruited and used by parties to conflict, although the actual number of cases is believed to be much higher. Often referred to as “child soldiers,” these boys and girls suffer extensive forms of…, UNICEF’S response, A shadow of a 16-year-old girl appears against a blue door in the Central African Republic. Many girls associated with armed forces or groups regularly experience gender-based violence. This girl was 16 when she managed to exit the armed group that held her in the Central African Republic. UNICEF partners with governments, community groups and…, More from UNICEF, Resources, Call for Action to End the Detention of Children in Conflict Call for Action to End the Detention of Children in Conflict UNICEF Humanitarian Practice: COVID-19 Technical Guidance Paris Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Groups Paris Principles and Commitments on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed…

Social service workers are often the first line of response for children in harm's way. Working closely with children and families, they identify and manage risks that children may be exposed to at home and elsewhere, especially those related to violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect, discrimination and poverty. Social service workers promote…, UNICEF's response, A woman holds a child as she sits at a table with a male social service worker, papers in hand, in Liberia in 2014. In 2014, caregiver Mamie Harris and 18-month-old Agnes meet with a social service worker at a UNICEF-supported centre in Liberia that provides psychosocial care for children who have survived Ebola virus disease. UNICEF works closely…, More from UNICEF, Resources, Guidelines to Strengthen the Social Service Workforce for Child Protection Guidelines to Strengthen the Social Service Workforce for Child Protection Social Service Workforce Mapping Toolkit Proposed Guidance and Tool for Costing the Social Service Workforce Proposed Guidance On Developing Minimum Social Service Workforce Ratios Global Social…

Across the world, millions of children interact with justice systems every year. They could be victims or witnesses to a crime. They could be alleged, accused or recognized as having broken the law. They could be in need of care or safety, or seeking to protect their rights. But justice systems do not always fulfil the promise of fairness. Some…, Children in contact with the law, In September 2019, at a rehabilitation centre in Ruyigi, Burundi, boys who have come into conflict with the law learn sewing skills as part of a vocational training programme. In September 2019, at a rehabilitation centre in Ruyigi, Burundi, boys who have come into contact with the law learn sewing skills as part of a vocational training programme…, Child survivors, victims and witnesses of crimes, An 18-year-old survivor of rape sits shadowed in a child-friendly court in Ethiopia, 2017. An 18-year-old survivor of rape seeks justice in a child-friendly court in Ethiopia, where the perpetrator was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2016. For children who have endured violence, exploitation or abuse, the trauma may not subside when they reach…, UNICEF’s response, A 17-year-old girl studies at her desk, at home in Brazil in 2016. In 2016, Marcelino Winny Moreira, 17, prepares for the national college entrance exam at home in Brazil after participating in a UNICEF-supported girl’s empowerment programme. “I want to study law because I see so much injustice happening here in my country…I want to defend…, More from UNICEF, Resources, UNICEF Humanitarian Practice: COVID-19 Technical Guidance Guidance Note of the Secretary-General: UN Approach to Justice for Children Informal Justice Systems: Charting a Course for Human Rights–Based Engagement United Nations Guidelines on Justice in Matters Involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime: Online Training Tool Reimagine Justice…

Every child has the right to grow up in a supportive family environment. But worldwide, an estimated 2.7 million children live in residential care – and the actual figure is likely much higher. Children may be separated from their parents and placed in alternative care for various reasons. Armed conflict, natural disaster and migration tear many…, UNICEF's response, A woman stands with her four adopted children in Côte d’Ivoire, in 2017. Her support prevented them from ending up in an orphanage. Irene Carpet, 61 years old, stands with her four adopted children in the city of Man, Côte d’Ivoire, in 2017. UNICEF works with champions like Irene to make sure children grow up in a safe, supportive environment. All…, More from UNICEF, Resources, UNICEF Humanitarian Practice: COVID-19 Technical Guidance It’s Time for Care: Prioritizing Quality Care for Children - Challenges, Opportunities and an Agenda for Action Guidance for Alternative Care Provision During COVID-19 PROTECTION OF CHILDREN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: Children and Alternative Care - Immediate Response Measures Last…

Economic hardship exacts a toll on millions of families worldwide – and in some places, it comes at the price of a child’s safety. Roughly  160 million children were subjected to child labour at the beginning of 2020, with 9 million additional children at risk due to the impact of COVID-19. This accounts for nearly 1 in 10 children worldwide. …, What we do, Children learn in a centre in Jordan in 2019. Children largely from the ethnic Dom community learn in a UNICEF-supported centre in Jordan, in 2019. With many of their families living in poverty, these children become especially vulnerable to negative coping mechanisms, like working on the street. Centres play a key role in identifying children who…, Learn more about child labour, Related resources, Action Against Child Labour | Case Studies Child Labour: Global estimates 2020, trends and the road forward Child Labour: UNICEF Data Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons UNICEF Child Protection Advocacy Brief: Child Labour IOM Handbook for Protection and Assistance for Migrants Vulnerable to Violence, Exploitation and…

Every child has the right to a legal identity, but a quarter of children born today do not “officially” exist. These children are deprived of birth certificates – their first legal proof of identity – simply because their parents cannot afford it, cannot reach it, or face some other barrier to learning about and accessing registration services.…, A birth certificate is proof of,   Because children without a birth certificate are unable to prove their age, they are more vulnerable to violence, abuse and exploitation. These girls and boys risk being trafficked, recruited into armed forces, or forced into early marriage or child labour . If they come into contact with the justice system , they may be prosecuted as adults and…, Why aren’t some children being registered at birth?, A number of factors keep children from being registered. Most unregistered children live in poorer households – often in rural areas with limited access to registration services, or in the more than 100 countries without fully functioning civil registration systems. Cost is a significant barrier: Many families cannot afford to travel to…, UNICEF’s response, A 5-year-old girl in Serbia paints in her kindergarten classroom, wide smile across her face, in 2016. In the village of Krasava in Serbia, 5-year-old Dejana Ametovic paints in kindergarten in 2016. Half of the children between 3 and 5 years old in Serbia do not attend kindergarten – many of whom come from vulnerable groups and have not had their…, More from UNICEF, Resources, CRVSID Case Studies Reaching Children with a holistic approach Reaching Children with a Holistic Approach UNICEF Humanitarian Practice: COVID-19 Technical Guidance Birth Registration: UNICEF Data Birth Registration for Every Child by 2030: Are We on Track? Status of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in South Asian Countries Birth…