By Harriet Holder Save the Children

1. Child Protection in Africa Union Peace Support Operations Knowledge & Learning
Event
Dakar, Senegal
7-9 December 2015
South Sudan: Two Years On
By Harriet Holder
Save the Children

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CONTEXT
• Maximum six bullet per page
198,314 refugees
(est.) 124,938 children
(63%)
226,307 refugees
152,757 children
(67.5%)
49,171 refugees
34,616 children
(70.4%)
172,200 refugees
111,585 children
(64.8%)
1.66 million IDPs
887,618 children
(53%)
184,284 in UNMISS
bases

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CONTEXT

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CONTEXT

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• Oil production has fallen by 20% and increased military expenditure has led to a protracted
economic crisis throughout the country - 52% inflation and 150% rise in food prices has led to a
scarcity of basic goods and fuel shortages.
• On-going conflict and displacement has disrupted livelihoods – 78% of the population is
engaged in non-wage agriculture – leading to an even worse economic outlook.
• On-going conflict and economic crisis has led to acute food insecurity – 2.4 million people
suffering Emergency and Crisis levels of food insecurity in 2015. Between January and October
2015, 115,810 children under 5 were treated for severe malnutrition.
• Both on-going conflict and food insecurity have become the key drivers of displacement; from
Jan – Sept 2015 internal displacement increased by 9% and refugee outflow increased by 21%.
An additional 6,000 people entered Bentiu PoC in October 2015.
• Even in areas not affected by conflict, 2015 has seen many more families pushed to the brink
by high food prices, disruption to markets, insecurity on key transport routes and a poor rainy
season.
• An increase in violence and insecurity in 2015 in areas previously less affected by the conflict
has raised the prospect of a wider breakdown in law and order across the country.
• All this leads to a very real risk of South Sudan becoming a protracted crisis.
CONTEXT

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• 31,695 South Sudanese children have been separated from their families across the region by
the conflict.
• Very high levels of trauma and emotional stress amongst children of all ages – this not just due
to one or several incidents of violence at the beginning of the conflict, but continuous traumatic
stress during movement and on-going throughout displacement.
• A total of 58,715 children have been affected by 1,407 incidents of grave violations
– In 2014, 755 incidents of grave violations were recorded, affecting a total of 35,398
children.
– In 2015, 650 incidents of grave violations were recorded, affecting a total of 23,317
children.
• Although it seems that the rate of grave violations against children is reducing, it is the type of
violations that has changed;
– 16,398 children have been recruited into armed groups since the start of the conflict –
although there has been a reduction in verified recruitment of children in 2015 in South
Sudan, recruitment of children in Sudan and Ethiopia (South Sudanese and other
nationalities) has been recorded.
– More incidents of killing and maiming of children and sexual violence against children
were recorded in Q2 of 2015 than in all other quarters combined since the start of the
conflict in December 2013.
• Analysis of reporting in 2015 shows deliberate targeting of children as a strategy of armed
groups – in May 2015 multiple MRM reports showed adolescent boys in Unity State were
targeted and killed by an armed group to stop them from joining other armed groups in the area.
• Noticeably few cases of grave violations against children or Child Protection cases have been
reported with UN troops as perpetrators.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CHILDREN?

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GRAVE VIOLATIONS AGAINST CHILDREN
Killing
8%
Injuring
16%
Attacks on
schools and
military use
9%
Recruitment
and use of
children
13%
Attacks on
hospitals
5%
Rape and
grave sexual
violence
7%
Abduction
9%
Denial of
humanitarian
access
33%
2014
Killing
23%
Injuring
7%
Attacks on
schools and
military use
8%
Recruitment and
use of children
23%
Attacks on
hospitals
3%
Rape and grave
sexual violence
14%
Abduction
14%
Denial of
humanitarian
access
8%
2015

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RESPONSE TO SOUTH SUDANESE CHILDREN AFFECTED
BY CONFLICT: South Sudan
• Save the Children in South Sudan leads the largest Family Tracing and Reunification programme in Sub-
Saharan Africa;
– 21 agencies (15 NNGOs, 6 INGOs) covering 39 counties in 9 of 10 states
– 8,292 unaccompanied and separated children, and 3,050 parents missing children receive support
– 3,191 children have been reunified with their families since the start of the conflict
• 444,236 more children have received psycho-social support from 20+ agencies to help them cope with their
experiences
• $1.1bn has been spent by the UN and NGOs in 2015 in responding to the needs of the South Sudanese
people but this is only 60% of the funding that was requested to reach the most vulnerable with life-saving
support and basic services.
• Insecurity and weak infrastructure has limited humanitarian access to the worst affected areas – particularly in
Upper Nile, Unity and Jonglei States.
Activity Number of children
reached in 2015
Child Protection 455,578
Access to water 2,339,720
Treatment for SAM 115,810
Vaccinated against measles 297,277
Access to emergency education 382,334

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RESPONSE TO SOUTH SUDANESE CHILDREN
AFFECTED BY CONFLICT: Refugee Response
Ethiopia:
• 226,307 refugees - 152,757 children - in 5 camps in Gambella Region
• Only 35% of the funding requested was secured
• 11,484 unaccompanied and separated children are receiving support
Uganda:
• 172,200 refugees -111,585 children – in 3 camps across the country
• Only 27% of the funding requested was secured
• 3,151 unaccompanied and separated children are receiving support
Kenya:
• 49,171 refugees - 34,616 children – in Kakuma Camp
• Only 28% of the funding requested was secured
• 8,063 unaccompanied and separated children are receiving support
Sudan*:
• 98,314 refugees - (est.) 124,938 children – in various locations across the country
• Only 34% (est.) of the funding requested was secured
• 617 unaccompanied and separated children are receiving support
• Regional Inter-Agency Child Protection network of 14 Child Protection partners, and Regional
Family Tracing and Reunification programme of 6 Child Protection partners.

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• Use and Recruitment of Children:
– Continued recruitment of children, of South Sudanese, Ethiopian and Sudanese
nationality by all armed parties to the conflict must be monitored, reported and
responded to in the appropriate way by all existing mechanisms.
– Although the UN and NGOs in South Sudan have started to prepare for the release of
children associated with armed forces and armed groups, UNMISS, UNICEF and ICRC
have not been informed of any formal or informal release of children as yet.
– Many children associated with armed forces and armed groups will require Family
Tracing and Reunification to ensure they are able to go home to a safe and protective
environment.
– Long-term community protection mechanisms must be established/strengthened in order
to ensure the cycle of violence is broken for good – both for released children to prevent
re-recruitment and for future generations.
• Returnee Children:
– Ensuring the safe movement of children between Countries of Asylum and South Sudan
is essential – research to understand where and when children are unsafe and what
protective mechanisms can be put in place will be critical.
• Unaccompanied and Separated Children:
– Prevention of further separation and investment in long-term family strengthening to
reduce the number of children living without parental care.
– More focus on cross-border Family Tracing and Reunification – this will become even
more critical in the context of returns.
NEXT STEPS…

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Given your experiences in other contexts;
– What are the key lessons learnt and best practices to apply
to working with peace-keeping support operations in South
Sudan?
– How best can we respond to and support 16,000+
CAAFAG?
– What more can Save the Children do? Can we do better?
– How can we make peace a long-term reality for South
Sudanese children?
KEY POINTS FOR DISCUSSION

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QUESTIONS?