Violence prevention/reduction

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Press release

IFRC Calls for Urgent Action to Protect Children from Violence Amid Rising Crises and Disasters

Bogota/Geneva, 7 November – More than a billion children worldwide face threats that endanger their safety, education and dignity, with violence and climate-related disasters undermining their rights and futures. At the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence against Children, held in Bogotá on 7 – 8 November and hosted by the governments of Colombia and Sweden, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is calling for bold, immediate action to uphold children’s rights.“Governments, organizations, and communities must recognize the long-term consequences of failing to protect children,” said Gurvinder Singh, IFRC Senior Advisor on Child Protection. “Violence and neglect in childhood create deep societal impacts, fueling cycles of poverty, health issues, and instability. We are at a critical point: the world must commit to safeguarding children across all ages, genders, and abilities.”Violence and climate disasters are among the most urgent threats to children. Half of the world’s children are still unable to exercise their right to live free from violence, which remains pervasive in both daily and humanitarian settings. Children are exposed to physical, emotional, and sexual violence in spaces meant to protect them, such as homes, schools, and communities.Simultaneously, climate-related disasters — floods, heatwaves, and storms — are increasing the risk of harm, displacement, and exploitation for children. As climate emergencies escalate, so must investment in child protection, focusing on early warning, early action, and proactive measures to safeguard children before disasters strike. This is especially true for those children too often left out and left behind in their communities, such as those with disabilities.Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies bring vast experience in implementing localized programs to protect children from violence, abuse, and exploitation. They work to ensure safe, equal, and uninterrupted access to quality, inclusive education and learning opportunities. Scaling up these evidence-based initiatives is essential to advancing child protection and achieving the goals of this Ministerial Conference.IFRC Vice President Natia Loladze, said, "We know children are tremendously at risk in disasters, conflicts and health crises. The time to act is now. Protecting children in humanitarian and displacement settings is both a moral obligation and an investment in the future."The IFRC’s 2025-2028 Appeal: Ending Violence Against Children in and Through Education mobilizes partnerships with schools, communities, and public institutions to create safe environments and reduce risks in emergencies. The IFRC collaborates with Ministries of Education, Health, and Climate, as well as local agencies and researchers, to develop risk-forecasting systems that protect children from violence and exploitation, particularly in climate-related disasters such as heatwaves and floods.“Protecting children from violence and disasters is a shared responsibility, and we are – and will continue to be - dedicated to working with communities, public officials and children themselves to ensure that no child grows up hopeless or in fear,” said Colombian Red Cross President, Dr. Judith Carvajal de Álvarez. “Our humanitarian network’s 16 million volunteers uniquely reinforce children’s participation, community systems and key services that uphold children’s rights and well-being".For more information and to set up an interview, please contact: [email protected] Colombia – Rafael Payares +573135644837In Panama - Susana Arroyo Barrantes +50769993199In Geneva – Tommaso Della Longa +41797084367Hannah Copeland +41762369109Notes for editors:Examples of the Red Cross’ work on child protection in the Americas include:Colombia: The Red Cross is implementing a child protection project in areas affected by armed conflict (also active in Honduras) and developing mechanisms for safeguarding children in Nariño and Tumaco. Additionally, the Red Cross runs the "Action and Coexistence Program," which promotes inclusion and fosters values of tolerance, respect, and non-discrimination to prevent violence among children and adolescents.Honduras: The Red Cross manages a center for unaccompanied migrant children and returned migrant families, providing administrative assistance, healthcare, psychosocial support, and promoting social reintegration.Panama: The Red Cross develops programs such as educational brigades and "Blue Schools," which create safe environments in educational spaces, encourage environmental care, and support mental health. It also operates a child protection shelter in coordination with the government, offering healthcare, education, and psychosocial support to children aged 0 to 12.Mexico: The Red Cross has developed a child protection policy and program led by national youth teams to address the protection and mental health needs of children during emergencies and along migratory routes.Costa Rica: The Red Cross collaborates with organizations like World Vision and UNICEF on child protection and participation projects in emergencies, as well as providing medical care and nutrition support for children and adolescents in migratory contexts.Guatemala: In coordination with public officials, Red Cross volunteers offer health and mental health care, humanitarian assistance, and support for returned migrant children. This includes psychoeducation projects and school tutoring aimed at reducing school dropouts. Additionally, they run an awareness program on health, hygiene, and first aid, featuring cartoon characters who teach children about these topics.Ecuador: The Red Cross operates safe spaces for children in migratory contexts, supported by a child protection policy aligned with its national policy on protection, gender, and inclusion. It also runs early childhood projects that assist families with children aged 0 to 6, ensuring protection and family preservation.Trinidad and Tobago: Red Cross volunteers promote access to education and psychosocial support through child-friendly spaces.Cayman Islands: The Red Cross runs an educational YouTube program with animated characters, "Bobo and Teedee," which teach children about hygiene, health, safety, and family coexistence in an engaging way.

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Article

Water: A key element for stability and health in communities facing an insecure and changing world

For more than a decade now, the people of South Sudan have faced enormous hardships caused by on-going internal conflict, mass displacement and a series of climate-related disasters that have paradoxically brought both extended droughts and intense rainfall. “In 2019, a third of the country was under water, with all the consequences that entails,” says Bonface Okotch, water and sanitation expert for the Netherlands Red Cross in South Sudan. Since then, communities across large swaths of the county have periodically been completely inundated and displaced, their crops and livelihoods ruined.The county of Aweil South in northern South Sudan is one area heavily affected by cyclic flooding and violence, as well as an influx of refugees fleeing violence across the country’s northern border with Sudan.At the same time, water and sanitation coverage in the country is low – less than 10 per cent have access to improved sanitation and 42 per cent do not have access to reliable, safe and sustainable water sources.This not only leaves the population vulnerable to infectious diseases, it means people spend an inordinate amount of time getting water from far away sources. This takes away from other essentials such as education, livelihoods and food production that bring health and stability to families and communities.A peaceful and sustainable futureOne ongoing project is addressing this dynamic. In partnership with the European Union (EU), the IFRC, the South Sudan Red Cross and the Netherlands Red Cross have been able to reduce the impact of flooding and droughts, while building resilience so that people can continue to recover from future setbacks.As part of the project, known as the Programmatic Partnership, the South Sudan Red Cross has played a central role in rehabilitating water facilities while also building new ones that are designed to be sustainable over the long term, saysAbdallah Bennet, a water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) expert for the South Sudan Red Cross.“In certain areas, communities face challenges due to limited access to clean water, particularly during flooding," he says. "Upgrading hand pumps to solar systems is a key aspect of our work. Through the Programmatic Partnership project, we're addressing these challenges with sustainable solutions.“We empower local communities by training pump mechanics and water-use committees, ensuring they can manage and maintain water points effectively themselves,” he says. “Water is life. It is fundamental for life itself. Without it, nothing goes on.”The South Sudan Red Cross has also trained volunteers on hygiene promotion (handwashing, safe handling of water and food, construction and use of toilets, communication skills, among other things) so they can conduct house-to-house, hygiene- promotion visits.But that’s not all. “People in the communities are trained to assess weather risks, monitor water levels and take rapid action if the community is at risk,” says Bonface. “During emergencies, they strengthen dikes, clear drainage channels and provide assistance to vulnerable groups.”The work being done in Aweil is just one example of how access to safe water – along with other other coordinated efforts to minimize risks – plays a critical role in stabilizing the health of communities facing multiple threats.As the humanitarian world marks World Water Week, which this year promotes the theme of Bridging Borders: Water for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future,this project offers an example of the collaborative efforts needed if vulnerable communities are to enjoy a peaceful and sustainable future.After the installation of the water facilities in Aweil South, for example, the community haswitnessed a significant improvement in the well-being and community health,according to the South Soudan Red cross.“I am very happy that Red Cross installed the water yard in our community,”saysAbu Adub, a local resident in the village Gakrol in Aweil South .“People are using it a lot. Near the hand pump, it’s always crowded.This has led to a decrease in diseases such as diarrhea, especially among children and the elderly.”Proximity to safe water sources allows for more time for other household tasks, such as caring for children.“Before, when we had no water yard, we used to drink from the well and it was not good for our health,”saysAdut Wek, who lives in Gakrol, in the Aweil region.“When we had no water, our children used to take a bath (in the well) late at night. We used to fetch water from the well over there, and also from the river. It used to take a long time to get the water. At least two hours.“Since the Red Cross supported us with the handpump, the children can take a bath earlier and then go home.”“Before, when we drank water from the river, we used to get stomach aches,”Adut continues. “Since we have the water yard, we don’t have any waterborne diseases anymore. The main challenge now is that some people live far away and still don’t have water.”More information about the Programmatic Partnership and IFRC’s work providing safe water:The Health, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) support available in Aweil is supported by theProgrammatic Partnership between the IFRC network and theEuropean Union. The partnership provides strategic, flexible, long-term and predictable funding, so that National Societies can act before a crisis or health emergency occurs. It is being implemented in 24 countries around the world.IFRC Water Sanitation and Hygiene ProgrammingWorld Water Day 2024

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Article

Cash assistance: ‘Today, I see a brighter future for my daughters’

For several years now, the Far North region of Cameroon has been facing the effects of climate change, characterized by droughts, seasonal disruptions and recurrent flooding, with disastrous consequences for agriculture, livestock farming and even access to supply centres and markets, among other challenges. This situation has led to a further deterioration in the economic situation of local households.In addition to the effects of climate change, there are social tensions marked by inter-community conflicts and grievances, as well as the presence of non-state armed groups. Over the last ten years, these factors have created a situation of insecurity, leading to population movements and, for many, the loss of loved ones."I lost my husband a few years ago,” says Soumaïra, who lives with her children in the village of Ndoukoula, in the Far North region of Cameroon. "I was 13 when we got married. A few years later I gave birth to our first daughter. My husband took good care of us. His job was to rear the herds of important local men, and he was also responsible for selling them.“One day, as he was returning from a village on the border with Nigeria to sell the animals of one of his bosses, he was killed in an attack. I had only just given birth to our second daughter, and I was already a widow with two children to support.”A new lease on life through cash assistanceHaving lost her parents when she was less than 10 years old, and facing a precarious situation, Soumaîra was taken in by the village chief, who tries as hard as he can to look after her and her daughters."One day, as I was going about my daily chores, I was approached by Red Cross volunteers and some members of my community", she recalls. "They told me they wanted to collect information about me to see if I was eligible for any further financial assistance to help me meet my family's immediate needs."It turns out that Soumaïra’s village is one of eight targeted by the programmatic partnership between the IFRC, the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and the French Red Cross in Cameroon.As part of the second phase of the partnership's operations in the region, 1,000 households in the Far North region have been receiving cash assistance since January 2024. The cash grants were made to respond to the most urgent basic needs of the population in this region, following armed violence, the impacts of climate change and the residual and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic."I told them everything they wanted to know and I was confident of being selected, which I was. Some time later, they explained to me that I would receive 64,000 Central African Francs (around 91 Swiss francs) in three instalments. With this money, I could buy a few important items for the house, have my children looked after if they were ever ill, and with the rest, if I wanted to, start a small business.“Today I received my first financial allowance and I'm so happy. With this money, I'm going to buy millet and other food to feed my children. I'm also going to start raising livestock and trading for a living. It's a process that will continue with the other funds I receive. I will be able to take care of my daughters' school needs and fight to make a difference to their lives.“Today Icansee abrighterfuture for my daughters.”In addition to the cash assistance, the Cameroon Red Cross is sharing community awareness messages on how best to prepare for and respond to epidemics and disasters, as well as on risk communication and community engagement.

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Press release

“We need to do better” – IFRC report reveals gaps in child protection during climate related disasters

Kingston, Jamaica – November 19, 2021. Adolescents overwhelmingly feel that they do not have the information needed to be safe from potential violence, abuse, and exploitation in climate related disasters. This is one of the main findings of “We Need to Do Better: Climate Related Disasters, Child Protection and Localizing Action in the Caribbean,” a recent study conducted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The report has revealed that even though climate related disasters affect each person in the region, children are particularly at risk. They make up a large portion of the population of the Caribbean and are most vulnerable to encountering violence, abuse, and exploitation in disaster settings, while systems to protect them do not always work. The study also highlights that there are no specific laws in place to protect children from violence, abuse and exploitation when disasters happen. Gurvinder Singh, IFRC’s Child Protection Senior Advisor and one of the authors of the report, said: “While children potentially have great leadership and innovation capabilities, unfortunately, their voices are rarely being sought out or heard. Furthermore, there is a huge deficit in meaningful opportunities for children to be engaged in decisions that affect them. This is especially prominent in the stages of preparing for and responding to disasters. Adolescents believe that even if they do participate, their opinions may not be taken seriously by adults.” By putting the voices, perspectives, and ideas of children at the forefront, the report seeks to understand the generally unexplored relationships between climate related disasters and children’s concerns around violence, abuse, exploitation, and mental health challenges. It also sends a warning to governments and civic organisations to play a more active role in the promotion of and respect for the rights of the child, especially with regards to the issue of child abuse and the need for urgent effective prevention programmes. Ariel Kestens, IFRC’s Head of Delegation for the Dutch-and English-speaking Caribbean, said: “It is critical that governments enhance domestic laws, invest in child protection systems, improve local coordination, train local responders, include protection and climate change in school curriculum, and collect sex-, age- and disability-disaggregated data in disaster responses. The IFRC Network across the Caribbean stands ready to support them to continue striving to meet the best interests of each child affected by more and more frequent, and destructive climate related disasters.” The report also recommends practical actions for the humanitarian sector, such as designing child-friendly communications, implementing community feedback mechanisms, including child protection in anticipatory action, integrating child protection across preparedness, assessments and planning, and creating spaces for children and adults to engage, support one another and find viable solutions to protection risks. The study was based on discussions and an online survey with 198 adolescents ages 14-17 years in the Bahamas, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago; interviews with 30 adults from different disaster and child protection agencies, and background research. It is part of the campaign “We Need to Do Better” by the IFRC to enhance protection of children in climate related disasters. The full report may be accessed here. The adolescent summary of the report is available here. For more information, please contact: In Jamaica: Trevesa DaSilva | +876 818-8575 | [email protected] In Panama: Susana Arroyo Barrantes | + 506 8416 1771 | [email protected]