UNICEF
Project summary:
The Reintegration of children displaced by conflict in Southern Sudan
A.
Goal and timing
The project aims to
reintegrate with their families and communities at least 8,000 children in 15
communities in the Nyal area of Western Upper Nile who have been displaced by
the ongoing civil war. These include children formerly associated with the
fighting forces, refugees, and abducted and other vulnerable children. Work will be carried out in partnership with
a local NGO, the Naath Community Development Services (NCDS). Identification
and reintegration of children and young people will take up to three years.
B. Background
Since the late 1980’s,
85% of the population of southern Sudan is thought to have been displaced at
least once as a result of one of the world’s longest conflicts. Now, the
prospect of peace is encouraging an estimated four million people to return to
their areas of origin in southern Sudan. Over 60% of the Sudanese population is
under the age of 18; in displaced groups, the percentage of children is even
higher. In 2004, up to 17,000 children remained in fighting forces.
Demobilisation began a year ago and is increasing. Many returning children may never have known
a ‘normal’ life with a stable home.
Receiving communities need assistance in setting up educational,
recreational, vocational, and protection committees and services in preparation
for their return so that these children can be successfully reintegrated.
C.
Beneficiaries
Over three years, the
project will benefit at least 4,000 children formerly associated with the
fighting forces and their families and 4,000 other vulnerable children who have
been displaced, with or without their families.
Fifteen communities in the Nyal area will benefit from the establishment
and training of community committees for family tracing, reintegration, and
child protection to enable an understanding of the needs of these children.
D.
Approach
With its partners,
UNICEF has developed a coordinated strategy for rehabilitating and
reintegrating children who have been living in displacement. As well as the activities
in E. below, this includes working on policy issues with the central
authorities of southern Sudan to prevent future recruitment of children into
the armed forces and to ensure the protection of children under law. It
includes strengthening the capacity of both military and civil society in the
area of child protection, particularly in respect to children affected by
war. UNICEF is also building a network
of NGOs and CBOs, building their capacity to respond to children’s needs.
E.
Activities Among the activities to
be undertaken by the NCDS are:
1. Assessing child
protection issues in the area and producing a plan to address these
2. Discussing with 15
communities the problems faced by vulnerable children
3. Lobbying local
authorities on child protection issues, particularly those harmful to girls
4. Identifying children in
local fighting units by approaching their parents and relatives
5. Negotiating with
commanders of fighting units for the release of those children
6. Assisting with family
tracing of separated children and following up of returned children
7. Developing a database
of returned and reintegrated children to allow monitoring
8. Using NCDS community
centres, running a variety of activities for vulnerable children
9. Taking play, sport, and
other activities for children out to other communities
10. Advising and training
local authorities and community leaders on area child protection.
F. Monitoring and Assessment
UNICEF will build the
capacity of the NCDS to train and monitor, requiring quarterly narrative and
financial reports. The NCDS will train local authorities and communities on
monitoring the effects of the project.
Using baseline information gathered in the past 24 months, reduction in
abuses to children will be measured.
UNICEF Southern Sudan will provide three annual progress reports to
UNICEF UK based on criteria provided by The Baring Foundation.
G.
Budget
The overall budget for
the project over three years is £171,608 (including £5,000 for an independent
final evaluation), or £55,663 per year. Of the project cost, 58% is to be spent
by the NCDS (the ‘block grant’) and 42% by UNICEF (the ‘core funding’ portion
of the grant.)
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