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People in need3 million
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People targeted2.1 million
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Financial requirements (US$)63 million
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Number of partners61
Contact persons (e-mail): Ikona@unicef.org
1. Trends in Sectoral Needs
Children’s protection needs in Somalia remain complex and multifaceted due to decades of emergencies spanning multiple generations, thereby requiring a robust, holistic response. Children’s safety, survival, and well-being are constantly threatened by armed conflicts such as those in Lascanod, Hirshebelle, and Galmudug regions, natural climatic-induced disasters such as floods and drought, disease outbreaks, grinding poverty, and repeated forced displacement—all which impact children’s development and growth and inflict profound levels of life-altering distress and injuries. Children, who comprise over 62% of affected populations in Somalia, continue to be disproportionately affected by these shocks and hazards, leaving them vulnerable to serious forms of violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect.
Somalia is among the countries recording the highest numbers of grave violations against children worldwide. Between January and September 2023, 1,742 grave violations against 1,660 children (77 percent boys) were verified, including 498 children recruited and used (10 percent used in combat); 455 killed or maimed by armed actors; and 568 abducted (over half of these cases have led to child recruitment). Girls continue to be exposed to rape and other forms of sexual violence, often taking place in rural areas and in and around IDP sites. Places that are meant to be safe for children were also attacked, with 34 schools and 18 hospitals verified to have been attacked by armed actors. Children represent 80% of the total mine- and unexploded ordnance-related casualties recorded in 2023. Many of these grave violations were documented in primarily conflict-affected areas, such as Lower Shebele, Bay, Middle Juba, Hiran, and Gedo.
Many Somali girls and boys grow up in communities where Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), child marriage, sexual assault, violence in the home, and child labor are accepted or tolerated societal norms. These risks are heightened when hit by different shocks or hazards. Family separation is an ongoing concern.
Children’s wellbeing continues to be disrupted by the breakdown of routines, the inability to play and go to school, and deteriorating mental health and healthy social support systems. Children are facing enormous psychological challenges, yet mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services and activities are lacking or overstretched. Distress levels are higher among child-, female-, and elderly-headed households, minority/marginalized populations, households with children with disabilities, and more than 79% of IDP children indicate the unavailability of MHPSS services. Currently, Somali caseworkers handle caseloads 10 times higher than minimum standards, while 60% of affected children lack access to specialised protection services due to inadequate services.
2. Response Scope and Priorities
2.1 Response Focus
The Child Protection AoR plans to reach 2.1 million people in 2024 (75% children [739,145 girls, 844,737 boys] and 25% adults [285,099 women, 200,625 men]). Among those targeted, 10% have disabilities and 3% are elderly. The targeted people have the most severe needs, according to sectoral and joint inter-cluster analyses.
2.2 Response Priorities and Coordination with other Clusters (Integrated Response)
The CP AoR and partners will build on previous investments by scaling up services to additional areas with the severest needs, including areas with recent displacement, newly accessible areas, and areas with limited or no access to services.
At the individual and family level, CP actors will provide quality case management, including family tracing, reunification and alternative care, by trained case/social workers, with increased support to case management volunteers for a wider reach. The CP AoR will continue to enhance referral pathways and networks, particularly by strengthening multi-sectoral, web-based referral pathways.
Partners will scale up MHPSS, focusing on psychological first aid, individual and group psychosocial support with children, and positive parenting and psychosocial support with caregivers. Structured, child-friendly space activities will be supported to include comprehensive gender-sensitive, age-appropriate education, hygiene promotion, nutrition, life skills support and other skills development.
At community level, mobile teams will be deployed to reach children in hard-to-reach locations, and community volunteers and youth will raise awareness on child protection risks through peer-to-peer activities and safe child participation initiatives. The CP AoR enhancing measures to Monitor of grave child rights violations, prevent and respond to grave violations through advocacy, referrals (e.g., assistance to children injured by explosive hazards), and services, including family-based care and community reintegration for children formerly associated with armed forces/groups, particularly in IDP sites and conflict-affected areas.
The CP AoR will bolster the capacity of CP community workers, the social service workforce, and other national/local partners for quality child protection service provision and coordination through training, mentoring, coaching, and supervision. Topics will include case management, CPIMS+, MHPSS, safe referrals, assessments, community-based protection, and coordination. The CP AoR will also enhance the operationalization of integrated frameworks with Education, Nutrition, and GBV. The joint CP and Education response framework will focus on MHPSS in schools and the capacity strengthening of teachers to create nurturing environments and safely recognize and refer children at risk. Operational coordination and joint Child Protection and GBV capacity strengthening initiatives will be reinforced to address increasing cases of child and adolescent survivors of GBV, including trainings on GBV risk mitigation and caring for child and adolescent survivors of GBV.
3. Quality and inclusive programming
The CP AoR ensures all socio-ecological layers affecting children’s lives are addressed in line with minimum standards and informed (and led where possible) by children, their families, and communities using participatory approaches. All interventions are also designed to be gender-, age- and disability-friendly and inclusive. With children accounting for more than 80% of all explosive ordnance (EO) in Somalia, CP AoR partners in coordination with the EH AoR will continue supporting children injured by EO, including through MHPSS and mobility equipment. All partners will promote child participation and safeguarding using various child-friendly feedback and reporting mechanisms throughout the programme cycle, with training for at least 60% of partner staff/volunteers on PSEA and code of conduct.
4. Cost of response
The Child Protection AoR requires $62.8 million to target 2.1 million children and caregivers with immediate child protection interventions. The costs are based on an agreed unit-based costing methodology for key lifesaving activities.
To go the the protection cluster overview page, click here.
References
- MSNA 2023
- Standard 18, Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, 2019 edition: At least 1 caseworker for every 25 children
- To ensure quality, the CP AoR will strengthen the implementation of Case Management Standard Operating Procedures, roll out the information management platform (CPIMS+/PRIMERO), and strengthen capacity of caseworkers through Face-to-Face and remote training, coaching, and mentoring. In remote and hard to reach locations, the CP AoR will train non-CP frontline workers on safe recognition and referral of children in need of protection using the CP AoR’s guidance on safe referrals for non-CP actors.
- Child Protection Information Management System +