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Child Protection in Africa Union Peace Support Operations Knowledge & Learning

Event

Dakar, Senegal

7-9 December 2015

South Sudan: Two Years On

By Harriet Holder

Save the Children

Presentation for strategy v1.pptx 1

CONTEXT

• Maximum six bullet per page

198,314 refugees

(est.) 124,938 children

(63%)

226,307 refugees

152,757 children

(67.5%)

49,171 refugees

34,616 children

(70.4%)

172,200 refugees

111,585 children

(64.8%)

1.66 million IDPs

887,618 children

(53%)

184,284 in UNMISS

bases


CONTEXT


• Oil production has fallen by 20% and increased military expenditure has led to a protracted

economic crisis throughout the country - 52% inflation and 150% rise in food prices has led to a

scarcity of basic goods and fuel shortages.

• On-going conflict and displacement has disrupted livelihoods – 78% of the population is

engaged in non-wage agriculture – leading to an even worse economic outlook.

• On-going conflict and economic crisis has led to acute food insecurity – 2.4 million people

suffering Emergency and Crisis levels of food insecurity in 2015. Between January and October

2015, 115,810 children under 5 were treated for severe malnutrition.

• Both on-going conflict and food insecurity have become the key drivers of displacement; from

Jan – Sept 2015 internal displacement increased by 9% and refugee outflow increased by 21%.

An additional 6,000 people entered Bentiu PoC in October 2015.

• Even in areas not affected by conflict, 2015 has seen many more families pushed to the brink

by high food prices, disruption to markets, insecurity on key transport routes and a poor rainy

season.

• An increase in violence and insecurity in 2015 in areas previously less affected by the conflict

has raised the prospect of a wider breakdown in law and order across the country.

• All this leads to a very real risk of South Sudan becoming a protracted crisis.

CONTEXT


• 31,695 South Sudanese children have been separated from their families across the region by

the conflict. • Very high levels of trauma and emotional stress amongst children of all ages – this not just due

to one or several incidents of violence at the beginning of the conflict, but continuous traumatic stress during movement and on-going throughout displacement.

• A total of 58,715 children have been affected by 1,407 incidents of grave violations – In 2014, 755 incidents of grave violations were recorded, affecting a total of 35,398

children. – In 2015, 650 incidents of grave violations were recorded, affecting a total of 23,317

children. • Although it seems that the rate of grave violations against children is reducing, it is the type of

violations that has changed; – 16,398 children have been recruited into armed groups since the start of the conflict –

although there has been a reduction in verified recruitment of children in 2015 in South Sudan, recruitment of children in Sudan and Ethiopia (South Sudanese and other nationalities) has been recorded.

– More incidents of killing and maiming of children and sexual violence against children were recorded in Q2 of 2015 than in all other quarters combined since the start of the conflict in December 2013.

• Analysis of reporting in 2015 shows deliberate targeting of children as a strategy of armed groups – in May 2015 multiple MRM reports showed adolescent boys in Unity State were targeted and killed by an armed group to stop them from joining other armed groups in the area.

• Noticeably few cases of grave violations against children or Child Protection cases have been reported with UN troops as perpetrators.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CHILDREN?


GRAVE VIOLATIONS AGAINST CHILDREN

Killing 8%

Injuring 16%

Attacks on schools and military use

9%

Recruitment and use of children

13% Attacks on hospitals

5%

Rape and grave sexual

violence 7%

Abduction 9%

Denial of humanitarian

access 33%

2014

Killing 23%

Injuring 7%

Attacks on schools and military use

8%

Recruitment and use of children

23%

Attacks on hospitals

3%

Rape and grave sexual violence

14%

Abduction 14%

Denial of humanitarian

access 8%

2015


RESPONSE TO SOUTH SUDANESE CHILDREN AFFECTED

BY CONFLICT: South Sudan

• Save the Children in South Sudan leads the largest Family Tracing and Reunification programme in Sub-

Saharan Africa;

– 21 agencies (15 NNGOs, 6 INGOs) covering 39 counties in 9 of 10 states

– 8,292 unaccompanied and separated children, and 3,050 parents missing children receive support

– 3,191 children have been reunified with their families since the start of the conflict

• 444,236 more children have received psycho-social support from 20+ agencies to help them cope with their

experiences

• $1.1bn has been spent by the UN and NGOs in 2015 in responding to the needs of the South Sudanese

people but this is only 60% of the funding that was requested to reach the most vulnerable with life-saving

support and basic services.

• Insecurity and weak infrastructure has limited humanitarian access to the worst affected areas – particularly in

Upper Nile, Unity and Jonglei States.

Activity Number of children

reached in 2015

Child Protection 455,578

Access to water 2,339,720

Treatment for SAM 115,810

Vaccinated against measles 297,277

Access to emergency education 382,334


RESPONSE TO SOUTH SUDANESE CHILDREN

AFFECTED BY CONFLICT: Refugee Response Ethiopia:

• 226,307 refugees - 152,757 children - in 5 camps in Gambella Region

• Only 35% of the funding requested was secured

• 11,484 unaccompanied and separated children are receiving support

Uganda:

• 172,200 refugees -111,585 children – in 3 camps across the country



Kenya:

• 49,171 refugees - 34,616 children – in Kakuma Camp



Sudan*:

• 98,314 refugees - (est.) 124,938 children – in various locations across the country

• Only 34% (est.) of the funding requested was secured

• 617 unaccompanied and separated children are receiving support

• Regional Inter-Agency Child Protection network of 14 Child Protection partners, and Regional

Family Tracing and Reunification programme of 6 Child Protection partners.


• Use and Recruitment of Children:

– Continued recruitment of children, of South Sudanese, Ethiopian and Sudanese

nationality by all armed parties to the conflict must be monitored, reported and

responded to in the appropriate way by all existing mechanisms.

– Although the UN and NGOs in South Sudan have started to prepare for the release of

children associated with armed forces and armed groups, UNMISS, UNICEF and ICRC

have not been informed of any formal or informal release of children as yet.

– Many children associated with armed forces and armed groups will require Family

Tracing and Reunification to ensure they are able to go home to a safe and protective

environment.

– Long-term community protection mechanisms must be established/strengthened in order

to ensure the cycle of violence is broken for good – both for released children to prevent

re-recruitment and for future generations.

• Returnee Children:

– Ensuring the safe movement of children between Countries of Asylum and South Sudan

is essential – research to understand where and when children are unsafe and what

protective mechanisms can be put in place will be critical.

• Unaccompanied and Separated Children:

– Prevention of further separation and investment in long-term family strengthening to

reduce the number of children living without parental care.

– More focus on cross-border Family Tracing and Reunification – this will become even

more critical in the context of returns.

NEXT STEPS…


Given your experiences in other contexts;

– What are the key lessons learnt and best practices to apply

to working with peace-keeping support operations in South

Sudan?

– How best can we respond to and support 16,000+

CAAFAG?

– What more can Save the Children do? Can we do better?

– How can we make peace a long-term reality for South

Sudanese children?

KEY POINTS FOR DISCUSSION


QUESTIONS?

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