PSYCHO-SOCIAL SUPPORT AND CHILD PROTECTION

The Situation of Children

The earthquake has had a devastating impact on children and women, exposing them to ongoing risks and vulnerabilities. A recent assessment in Beichuan County found that 57% of those surveyed lost a relative to the earthquake, 15% showed post-traumatic stress disorder, and 10% were depressed. From its experience in previous relief efforts, including the 2007 Yunnan earthquake, UNICEF has found that 90 – 95% of children and women are able to recover with psychosocial services alone, but 5 – 10% need more expert treatment. Failure to promptly and appropriately address the psychological and social needs of earthquake-affected children and communities can have long-term consequences on their capacity to recover.

The earthquake displaced millions of people, uprooting children from their normal environments and leaving them vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation. The protection needs of children are heightened in the aftermath of the earthquake, as they are more likely to be neglected by overwhelmed parents and caregivers who struggle to remake their own lives.

In the aftermath of the Wenchuan earthquake, UNICEF has been working with national and local counterparts to establish 34 Child-Friendly Spaces to provide children with integrated psychosocial support and protection services in a safe and healing environment. Almost all supplies have now arrived at the Child-Friendly Spaces, and UNICEF has also recruited staff and developed a plan of services. At the moment, about 20 Child-Friendly Spaces have been opened to children and their parents, with the remaining expected to be fully functional in the near future. UNICEF’s Child-Friendly Spaces are critical to giving children a sense of safety, structure and continuity; and to building cohesion and a sense of community.

Since the 30 August earthquake in Panzhihua, UNICEF has been working to establish an additional 6 Child-Friendly Spaces in Panzhihua City, Yanbian County, and Huili County, three of the new hardest-hit areas. Pre-fabricated units and supplies and equipment are now arriving at those sites.

In September, UNICEF conducted training for nearly 200 teachers, mentors, social workers, and managers working in the Child-Friendly Spaces. The UNICEF China Earthquake Six Month Report training employed a participatory and collaborative learning approach and
focused on the Core Commitments for Children in Emergencies. The training equipped the staff of the Child-Friendly Spaces with knowledge and skills to implement psychosocial support and educational, recreational, and community activities. UNICEF is now working with technical supervision teams to provide further on-the-job training and guidance on early childhood care and social work. UNICEF is also working with the National Working
Committee on Children and Women, the Ministry of Education, and educational experts to monitor and evaluate the Child-Friendly Spaces.

Social mobilization is critical to creating a social environment in which children are protected from trafficking and violence. In November, UNICEF is launching a communication campaign in Chengdu to address the protection needs of children in the earthquake zone. Working with provincial government leaders and the Ministries of Public Security, Education, Health,
and Civil Affairs, UNICEF’s communication campaign is targeting communities in Chengdu, Aba, Mianyang, Guangyuan, and Ya’an, especially settlement camps and schools. UNICEF is also organizing group discussions and neighbourhood education sessions among children and parents.

UNICEF has developed life-skills training manuals and is working with 150 teachers and school principals to lead training sessions for 1,000 children in Sichuan so they learn how to protect themselves against violence and abuse. UNICEF has also held training workshops on children’s protection needs in emergencies for 200 police officers and security guards who are now conducting cascade training. Additionally, UNICEF has conducted training on child rights and child protection with 300 community leaders and w omen cadres. UNICEF is building awareness and capacity so communities can better respond to local protection needs.

UNICEF is working with the China Disabled Persons’ Federation to support eight special education schools in Sichuan’s Deyang and Mianyang Prefectures. These eight schools, which provide services to some 600 deaf children, blind children, and children with intellectual impairments, were all severely affected by the earthquake. To respond to the urgent need for basic teaching equipment, UNICEF is supplying these schools with school kits, sports kits, and computers with disabled-friendly technologies.

In the coming six months, UNICEF will expand and build on its interventions. The last of the Child-Friendly Spaces established in areas affected by the Wenchuan earthquake and the new Child-Friendly Spaces established in areas affected by the Panzhihua earthquake will soon open to provide a full range of services to children and their communities. UNICEF will continue its ongoing work with counterparts and professional organizations to build capacity among the staff of the Child-Friendly Spaces.

UNICEF will continue with its protection work, focusing specifically in the communities where the Child-Friendly Spaces are located. UNICEF will expand its life-skills training for children and work with parents, teachers, and police officers to educate them on how to protect children from trafficking and abuse. UNICEF will also continue to raise awareness by rolling out its county-wide communication campaigns.

UNICEF will develop guidelines and mechanisms, and train police officers to identify, register, and monitor children in temporary settlements. UNICEF will also work with the Ministry of Civil Affairs to respond to the protection needs of the children orphaned by the earthquake.