Access to time-sensitive life-saving child protection services to crises-affected children and families through integrated protection mobile teams in priority locations of South Sudan Humanitarian access remains limited due to insecurity in most parts of the country, especially in counties such as Rubkona, Mayendit, Wau, Panyijar, Leer, Koch, Akobo, Uror, Duk, Torit, Kajo-Keji, Mundri West, Nyirol, Ayod, Magwi, Fashoda, Yei, etc which have witnessed recent populations displacements (2018 HRP Tier locations). Given resource constraints and humanitarian access challenges in these areas and others, recent protection missions by integrated protection mobile teams (IPMT) in Raja, Deim Zubeir, Urieng, Jikow, Magwi, Pajok, Tonj and Duk (IPMT Lessons Learned_February 6th 2018) underscore the criticality for continuous deployment of integrated protection mobile teams which are essential and effective in immediately reaching the  populations and respond to the protection needs of those children fleeing during transit and after displacement. Given the wide spectrum of crises in these locations, children have been forced to flee all that is familiar to them and have experienced violence, fear and loss as a result of separation from families, psychosocial distress, armed recruitment and sexual violence and violations.

This project aims at providing time-sensitive life-saving child protection services to the crises-affected children and their families through integrated protection mobile teams in priority locations of HRP 2018 (listed above) and/or as will be determined by the protection cluster/ICWG. The protection cluster strategy for this allocation targets 180,000 beneficiaries for IPMT Of these, CINA targets 18000 beneficiaries through IPMT. The mode of intervention for IPMT will include conducting six integrated protection assessments which will last for 5 days and a total of three IPMT response missions which lasts for 2-8 weeks. CINA will deploy one IPMT team composed of 4 staff for this project. The IPMT mission interventions will include needs assessments/context analysis, frontline CP response where there are no partners, and surge capacity to support CP actors on ground overwhelmed by a given emergency or crisis. The dedicated CP services in the acute stage will include referral for emergency healthcare, nutrition and food distribution, identification, documentation and immediate tracing of unaccompanied minors, emergency alternative care for unaccompanied children and other most vulnerable children through case management, and provision of Psychological First Aid (PFA)/Psychosocial Support (PSS), risk mitigation, coordination and advocacy. These will be adapted to the context based on the availability of services and particular needs. The protection assessment findings will be used to inform integrated protection response but also multi-sector response including WASH, Health, FSL, Nutrition, Education, NFIs, etc interventions. To ensure sustainability of IPMT activities, CINA will establish referral mechanisms and CP Help desks in the communities.  Children identified to be most vulnerable ( through vulnerability criteria but also on individual basis) and require further case management support post IPMT will be referred to agencies on ground. Members of community based child protection network will be trained/equipped with CPiE skills, including self-protection skills, better parenting skills to support children within their community. The CFS established will act as referral hub and CP help desks in the community.

From the previous SSHF 2017 SA2 where CINA was a recipient representing CPSC in the IPMT  consortium with Nonviolent Peaceforce (for General Protection), INTERSOS (for GBV) and MAG (for mine action), the organization accumulated significant experience and expertise in mobile programming in its entirety. The IPMT staffs that will implement this project are those who participated in the project that just ended. They have learned good lessons from the IPMT pilot project which are necessary for the success of this project, and these teams are in fact readily deployable anytime.