Lifesaving Child Protection Interventions for Jebel Marra IDPs in South Darfur According to OCHA, a total of 26,000 people have left their homes in Jebel Marra and have been displaced to various areas in South Darfur.  The new arrivals of IDPs from Jebel Marra to South Darfur include displaced children who have been traumatized and separated from their families. This project aims to primarily provide lifesaving child protection services to 9,468 vulnerable children (3,787 boys 5,681 girls) affected by this crisis in Kass, Otash, Mershing, Menawashi and El Malam areas in South Darfur. The response capitalizes on the existing local capacities and partners. It is aligned with the SHF life-saving criteria for child protection and UNICEF’s core commitments for children in humanitarian situations. 

Psychosocial support for traumatized children, family tracing and reunification (FTR) for separated and unaccompanied children, monitoring and reporting on grave violations, support for children victims of gender-based violence and mine risk education are some of the key interventions provided through this funding.

UNICEF will provide psychosocial support by establishing 5 new CFS (2 in Kass, 2 in Otash Camp and 1 in Mershing/Menawashi).  In addition to providing psychosocial support through the CFS PSS, a psychosocial mobile team will be in place to reach out with basic psychosocial support in homes and other service points. Each PSS mobile team is composed of three animators and one social worker. Four psychosocial mobile teams will be deployed (1 per location, and the team operating out of Mershing to be 1.5 times bigger in order to cover both Mershing and Menawashi). The estimated reach of these four PSS mobile teams will be 2,816 children. 

The project will ensure the adherence to the new minimum standards in PSS through the training of all service providers. Particular attention will be given to children who have been exposed to gender-based violence and grave child rights violations. Monitoring and reporting of grave child rights violations will be conducted in Kass, Otash, Mershing/Menawashi and El Malam those children identified as victims of those grave violations will be referred to appropriate services. UNICEF will also support Mine Risk education to protect children from the risks of UXOs and ERW. To address gender based violence (GBV) awareness raising sessions will be conducted through established CFS on prevention and response. 

Local family tracing and reunification (FTR) teams -- composed of social workers, SCCW, CBCPN members, local leaders of the displaced peoples and child protection officers of the selected implementing partners -- will be conducting fast track activities to identify all UASC, document the identified UASC and conduct tracing of families, mediation and reunification. This will be done in accordance with the CPMS guidelines. The FTR local team will conduct regular family visits to prevent violence, exploitation and abuse of those UASC placed in community-based care. Special consideration will be given for the placement of adolescents and in exploring possibilities for the provision of mentorship of adolescents above 14 years old by responsible adults within their relative and communities. In addition, UNICEF will ensure that the special needs of adolescent children are addressed through life skills trainings and provision of psychosocial support and other social services 

To prevent child protection risks various community for development activities will be conducted through CBCPN members, including house-to-house visits, awareness raising sessions, focus group discussions, tea time talks and celebration of regional and international days. The awareness raising activities conducted by the CBCPN is expected to reach approximately 8,000 community members. Also, IEC material will be either distributed to IDPs or displayed in all services facilities, including CFS, clinics, OTPs, schools, distribution and water points.