Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

About Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

In times of crisis, whether armed conflict, natural disaster, or displacement, children are among the most vulnerable. Children in humanitarian settings are exposed to life-threatening risks, extreme violence, abuse, physical and sexual exploitation, and abduction. A recent UNICEF report states that more than one in five children in low- and middle-income countries are severely deprived in at least two essential areas of wellbeing, which is a stark reminder that child protection cannot be an afterthought in humanitarian response.

Ensuring children are safe, supported, and have access to services during emergencies requires not only direct programming, but strong coordination across the many actors working in complex settings.

Child Protection in the Protection Cluster

Child protection is one of the core workstreams within the Global Protection Cluster and is led by UNICEF as the global lead and Provider of Last Resort. The GPC global-level Child Protection team supports child protection actors in country-level Protection Clusters to lead the coordination of child protection efforts in humanitarian settings, aiming to ensure children in emergencies are protected from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. This includes maintaining a strong focus on localization, working with national and local actors at both the country and global levels, in recognition that sustainable child protection solutions must be rooted in the communities they serve.

Representation within Child Protection Forums

The GPC is an observer in the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action’s Steering Committee and is a member of the Alliance’s Working Groups and Task Forces, in addition to other global child protection forums.

Child Protection Community of Practice

Changemakers for children – the Child Protection Community of Practice - provides a safe, online space for child protection in humanitarian action practitioners to communicate with other practitioners and share resources, updates and promising practices. Family for Every Child supports this initiative via the Changemakers for Children platform together with the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action.