In emergencies, Save the Children recognizes that all children are particularly vulnerable to a range of risks: family separation, recruitment into armed forces, sexual exploitation and gender-based violence including rape. Recognizing these risks, Save the Children works to promote protective factors for children in emergencies including family unity, community involvement and positive opportunities. To ensure the highest level of service and protection, Save the Children has defined key protection programming priorities to guide sustainable field activities, use resources efficiently and target advocacy efforts to achieve systemic change.
The following programming priorities outline those areas that Save the Children has identified as deserving highest consideration when designing protection efforts for children in emergency situations:
Protect children from physical harm
As the nature of conflict and emergencies evolve, civilians, including children, are increasingly becoming targets and victims of physical violence. Save the Children supports advocacy and programming initiatives designed to enhance children's physical safety, such as landmine awareness and physical rehabilitation programs.
Protect children from exploitation and gender-based violence
Sexual violence is a chronic threat to children, particularly girls, in crises. Save the Children recognizes that children are most vulnerable to abuses such as rape, incest and molestation, during periods of armed conflict and displacement when their protective forces are limited or non-existent. Save the Children supports programming designed to prevent the occurrence of abuse and activities that care for survivors and reintegrate them back into their families and communities.
Protect children from recruitment into armed groups
In situations of conflict, children are regularly recruited as soldiers, spies, messengers and sexual slaves. The recruitment of child combatants violates international law and exposes children to extreme sexual and physical violence resulting in deep emotional and physical distress. Save the Children is committed to field programming and advocacy that prioritizes recruitment prevention, as well as rehabilitation and reintegration.
Protect children from psychosocial distress
During periods of crisis, children are exposed to a variety of stressful circumstances increasing their vulnerability to long-term negative psychosocial outcomes. Save the Children recognizes that children's emotional well-being is often overlooked in the urgency to respond to their physical care; Save the Children therefore prioritizes programming that enhances families' protective behaviors in crises and encourages the development of pro-social behaviors for children, including enhanced self-esteem, hope and a sense of self-efficacy.
Protect children from family separation and promote appropriate reunification
The separation of children from their families is an increasingly common characteristic of modern conflict, as communities are forced to flee with little or no warning. Save the Children prioritizes programming designed to prevent this separation through advanced preparation and field trainings to facilitate the reunification of families when it is in the best interest of the child.
Protection from abuses related to displacement
While camp settings may provide women and children a respite from armed violence, the negative effects of this displacement can be equally dangerous as women and children regularly lack access to adequate health care, including reproductive health services and educational opportunities. They are also frequent victims of sexual violence often perpetrated by those designated to protect them. Save the Children prioritizes programs designed to address these risks through increased access to basic health and education services and better protection monitoring.
Protection from denial of children's access to quality education
Emergency Education is formal and non-formal education in situations where children lack access to their national and community educational system due to complex emergencies or natural disasters. Education programming in emergencies may be implemented in a community setting or in a camp for refugees and displaced persons.
