Provision of child protection life-saving services and support to address the immediate humanitarian needs of children and their communities in 16 districts in Hilmand, Kunduz, Baghlan and Faryab provinces. UNICEF’s proposal will support 79,000 vulnerable children, including children with disabilities who experienced violence, with Child Protection (CP) response services. In addition, a total of 96,687 children and caregivers will be reached with awareness raising and information messaging on wellbeing. The 16 targeted  districts of Helmand, Faryab, Kunduz and Baghlan provinces, in both Southern and Northern Regions, are rated high priority in the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) 2022, as there are limited child protection services and high numbers of children in need.  

UNICEF will continue to work with the de facto authority at the local level and non-government partners to reach children and their communities affected by conflict and disasters with child protection lifesaving interventions. These include: the provision of Mental Health and Psychosocial (MHPSS) services family tracing and reunification (FTR) including supporting orphans that are abandoned in institutions prevention of killing and maiming of children through Explosive Ordinance Risk Education (EORE), provision of gender-based violence (GBV)  services and monitoring and reporting on the six  grave violations against children in line with the UN Security Council resolutions 1612 (20050 and other subsequent resolution on children and armed conflict. The project will also provide case management for most vulnerable children, alternative care, winterization kits, referral to specialized services and other basic services comprising of health, nutrition and education. Cash assistance will form part of the case management for children at risk or victims of violations including grave violations. Sensitization and awareness raising on COVID-19 and other Child Protection (CP) issues in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) settlements and host communities will be an integral part of the project.
During the project period, UNICEF will work with partners on sensitive programming to address sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) issues that are anticipated to arise due to the ongoing crises, and find innovative modalities (including adopting of alternative terminologies) to provide services to children victims of SGBV. UNICEF will work with other sectors to integrate MHPSS and strengthen referral of the children (boys and girls) and women victims of GBV to appropriate health services and education services. UNICEF through other resources will extend its Multipurpose Cash Assistance, and ensure that beneficiaries identified as the most vulnerable through the case management in this project will be supported. 

UNICEF will provide all needed technical and operational support based on its L3 mechanisms. UNICEF will facilitate the liquidity and cash whenever possible responding to the current situation. UNICEF is also negotiating access to beneficiaries with de facto authority. UNICEF strategize integrated programming the selected districts and provinces with education, health and social protection programme that will minimize the risk of exposing NGOs working only on child protection and implementing sensitive programmes, like child recruitment and GBV.