Child Protection in Emergencies Rapid Needs Assessment

Transcription

1 Child Protection in Emergencies Rapid Needs Assessment Libya April/May 2011 Save the Children

2 Contents 1. Introduction Methodology Assessment findings Separation of children from their families Care for vulnerable children Physical harm and violence Psychosocial distress Sexual violence Children in armed conflict Additional protection concerns Conclusions and recommendations Annexes 30 Annex 1: Assessment sites - 30 Annex 2: Assessment participants

3 1. Introduction Conflict erupted in Libya in February 2011 when demonstrations against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi s 40 year rule were met with violent government retaliation, leaving thousands of people dead and many more injured or displaced. This triggered a continuing national political and security crisis, with Gaddafi s regime pitted against anti-government forces in a battle for control over the nation. After months of armed conflict, the government currently retains partial control of the western part of the country, including the capital Tripoli, while the eastern part of the country is now fully under the rule of the newly established Interim Transitional National Council (TNC), led by former military, police and political figures. The ongoing crisis in Libya has resulted in the mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of people from the country, mainly into neigbouring Egypt and Tunisia. This includes migrant workers, third country nationals and Libyan nationals fleeing the conflict. 1 The majority of refugees are being looked after by host communities or relatives, or have been transported back to their home countries with support from humanitarian organizations. There are also believed to be approximately 243,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Libya, with 94,000 estimated to have fled to eastern areas. 2 The number of casualties remains unconfirmed and estimates of people killed by the conflict vary with figures between 10,000 and 15,000.. Under the leadership of a United Nations (UN) appointed humanitarian coordinator for Libya, the humanitarian cluster system has been activated to facilitate the delivery of aid to communities affected by the conflict. While heavy fighting continues in western Libya, particularly in the port city of Misrata and in the Nafusa mountains, eastern areas appear to have stabilized in recent weeks and a wide range of humanitarian agencies are currently operational. Humanitarian agencies have been working in partnership with the newly established TNC which has convened several committees (e.g. Education, Social Welfare, Health) to perform the function of ministries, and established the Libyan Committee for Humanitarian Assistance and Relief (LCHAR) to coordinate the activities of national and international humanitarian actors. This work is supported by an extensive network of volunteers (coordinated through the Centre of Volunteers) and a small number of local NGOs, including the Libyan Red Crescent and Libyan Boy Scouts. The extremely high level of local support for IDPs in the east of the country has resulted in community actors playing a key role in humanitarian activities, with civil society and youth initiatives emerging since the onset of the conflict to mobilize donations and provide support for displaced families. 1 As of 16 June, it is estimated that over 649,600 people have left Libya and not returned, of which 281,886 are third country nationals and over 262,700 are nationals from neighbouring countries. Reported in OCHA, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Crisis: Situation Report No. 45, 16 June Figures reported in Report of the International Commission of Inquiry to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law in the Libyan Arab JamahiriyaA/HRC/17/

4 Rationale for the rapid child protection needs assessment In response to the crisis in Libya, Save the Children conducted an initial rapid needs assessment in eastern Libya in early March 2011 and subsequently set up operations in Benghazi to address immediate needs in the areas of health, child protection, education, and food security and livelihoods. Findings from this and other humanitarian agency assessments indicated that the overall situation in Eastern Libya was not a major humanitarian crisis and that most of the IDP and local populations basic needs were addressed. 3 However, at the initial stages of the response a number of significant child protection concerns were identified, including the potential need for: psychosocial support for children displaced to the east who had been exposed to violence care and support for children whose care situation had been affected activities for children not in school due to the closure of the education system during the crisis prevention of physical harm to children, particularly due to exposure to unexploded ordinance (UXO) support for adolescents and youth, particularly those involved or at risk of involvement in fighting Moreover gender based violence (GBV), believed to be prevalent but under-reported due to social stigma, was highlighted as a potentially significant protection threat to children trapped in areas affected by the crisis. In order to fully understand the extent of these child protection concerns, Save the Children conducted a follow-up, in-depth child protection rapid needs assessment in April and May 2011, in partnership with the TNC s newly formed Children s Affairs Department and with support from UNICEF. This report highlights the main findings from this research and provides recommendations for appropriate response. It is envisaged that this will inform Save the Children and UNICEF s child protection programming in eastern Libya, to ensure that girls and boys are effectively targeted for protection from abuse, exploitation and violence. Child protection context Prior to the outbreak of conflict: Limited concrete information exists on the child protection situation in Libya. Although a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), issues including nondiscrimination, best interest of the child and juvenile justice are believed to have been inadequately 3 Save the Children, 16 April 2011: Libya Response Strategy: Six month programme framework. 4

5 reflected in Libya s national laws, with a Child Act (under draft prior to the conflict) falling short of implementing international standards on key child protection issues. 4 Pre-existing child protection concerns are believed to include child labour, drug abuse, abandonment of illegitimate children, exposure to domestic violence and neglect, with lack of attention towards early childhood care and development (ECCD) and denial of quality education for all age groups also reported. 5 A youth bulge (attributed to recent declines in fertility rates) means that one in three Libyans are considered to be youth and adolescents. 6 At the Government level, child protection issues were coordinated through the Childhood Care Directorate (CCD), within the Department of Social Affairs. While a limited number of civil society organisations and NGOs with a focus on children had begun to emerge in recent years, these were constrained by their lack of capacity and independence under the Gaddafi regime. Post the outbreak of conflict (eastern Libya): A Ministry of Social Welfare has been set up by the newly established TNC in eastern Libya, under the leadership of Dr. Haniya El Gamaty. Divided into three independent units (which broadly cover women s affairs, civil society and children s issues), child protection concerns are the responsibility of the Children s Affairs Department headed up by Ms. Burnia Elbekre. The Childrens Affairs Department responds to orphaned and abandoned children, children in conflict with the law, children with disabilities, ECCD and exploitation, abuse and neglect of children. 7 The Ministry of Social Welfare has been working actively with humanitarian agencies on protection issues, through participation in the Protection Cluster (which is co-led by UNHCR and LCHAR) as well as the recently established Child Protection Working Group (CPWG) which was set up in early June and is currently chaired by Save the Children. The CPWG brings together all relevant actors under one platform to coordinate child protection activities and to represent the best interests of children. The Libyan Scouts and Libyan Red Crescent, both of which have a large presence throughout the country, have also been playing a crucial role in working with humanitarian agencies to implement child protection activities. Since the outbreak of the conflict, the Libyan Boy Scouts, which is composed of a large force of boys between the ages of 7-18 years, has been mobilized under the leadership of adult scouts, to provide support to communities affected by the crisis. This includes delivery of mine awareness and psychosocial support activities to children as well as registration of IDPs and distribution of food and Non Food Items (NFIs) within a number of communities. The Libyan Red Crescent, one of the few other existing 4 UNICEF MENARO, November 2010: The situation of Children and Women in Libya. 5 Save the Children,16 April 2011: Libya Response Strategy: Six month programme framework and interview with Head of Children s Affairs department. 6 See UNICEF MENARO, November 2010: The situation of Children and Women in Libya, for an overview of child protection in Libya pre-conflict. 7 According to an interview with Ms. Elbekre the most common child protection concerns the department deals with include domestic violence, forced domestic labour, physical beating, discrimination by step parents, and neglect and abandonment of illegitimate children. 5

6 humanitarian agencies present prior to the conflict, is helping to manage a number of IDP settlements and to provide medical and first aid support. With technical support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), they have also been assisting with the tracing and reunification of families separated by the crisis, particularly at the Tunisian border. 2. Methodology This child protection rapid needs assessment was a joint initiative between Save the Children and the Children s Affairs Department within the Ministry of Social Welfare of the Transitional National Council. Conducted over a total of 18 days from 12 April to 10 May, it investigated child protection issues in a wide range of communities in and around Benghazi, using a mixture of focus groups discussions and key informant interviews with children and adults. Data collection was carried out over a period of 8 days between 17 to 25 April, with additional information collected between 26 to10 May through visits to conflict areas including Ajdabiya, Misrata and Al Kufra (when the security situation permitted) and through additional interviews with TNC, NGO and community representatives. Assessment team: The child protection rapid needs assessment was conducted by a team composed of 20 participants. This included two international child protection specialists (one who led the assessment as team leader), two Egyptian assessors and 16 Libyan assessors who were selected by the Children s Affairs Department. A Libyan translator also volunteered his services for the assessment, however departed before the field research was conducted. Participants were selected on the basis of their experience of working with children and/or the community and were provided with a 4 day training from 12 to16 April in Benghazi on the child protection rapid needs assessment tool and methodology. This included an overview of key concepts of child protection in emergencies and Save the Children s Child Safeguarding Policy as well as grounding in the techniques and tools for conducting the assessment. Training also included one day of field testing (14 April) to pilot the assessment tool. Assessment tool: The Child Protection Rapid Assessment Tool, recently developed by the Child Protection Working Group (CPWG) was adapted to the Libyan context for the assessment. Child protection specialists from UNICEF and Save the Children provided technical input into this process, which included the adaptation of tools for conducting focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Assessment location: Due to its relative stability and accessibility, the child protection assessment was conducted within IDP communities in and around Benghazi where people had been displaced from fighting 6

7 in western areas of the country, primarily from Ajdabiya, Brega, Ghameenis, Zwitina, Ras Lanuf, Ziltan, Al Kufra and (a limited number) from Misrata. At the time of the assessment there were an estimated 107, 000 IDPs believed to be living in Benghazi and its surroundings, with the majority in host families and the remainder in 77 IDP camps 8 - i.e. public buildings, such as schools, university dorms and emptied workers camps. As the majority of the IDP communities were based in Benghazi, most sites were urban. Assessment sites included Benghazi, Al Bayda, Al Marj, Al Abyar, Ghameenis and Ajdabiya. 9 These were selected based on their: accessibility (within a day's travel back and forth from Benghazi) security child protection needs - i.e. communities most affected by the conflict were prioritised Assessment data collection: Qualitative methods, primarily focus group discussions, direct observation and interviews with key informants were the main methods used by the team to collect data for the assessment. This was supplemented by a brief literature review during the writing of the report. 342 participants took part in the assessment. 10 Focus group discussions: 47 focus group discussions were conducted, 37 with children and 10 with adults. 247 children and 70 adults (317 participants in total) took part, with some focus groups including members of the host communities. Children were divided into groups between the ages of 7-12 years and years and segregated by gender. Assessors used child friendly language to facilitate the discussions, and in the younger-age focus groups participatory methods such as painting, drawing, story telling and role plays were used. Information about children under seven years was obtained through focus group discussions with parents and direct observation, while questions regarding the special needs of adolescents were included in the older children s focus groups. Ten focus group discussions were also held with a total of 70 adults, which included parents and relatives of the children and community members such as nurses, teachers and care workers. Most of the participants were women, as many of the men in the IDP communities had departed to participate in the fighting or had stayed behind in conflict areas in the west of the country. 8 LHCAR reported this figure on the 27 th of April See Annex 1 for a list of communities included within the assessment. 10 The total number focus groups, interviews and overall participants was much higher however cannot be fully accounted for due to loss of data. See Annex 2 for further details of assessment participants. 7

8 Key informant interviews: 25 interviews were carried out with representatives from the displaced populations. This included doctors, nurses, TNC representatives, IDP camp managers, school teachers, social workers, NGO staff/volunteers, members of the opposition forces 11 and people who had directly experienced violence in the conflict. People who worked directly with children on a day to day basis or held some kind of responsibility for the IDP community were prioritised. A small number of interviews were also held with host community representatives and medical professionals working within the emergency casualty units or psychiatric departments within hospitals in Benghazi, Ajdabiya and Misrata. As the assessors were all Arabic speaking and the majority were fully familiar with the local culture and norms, communication with the assessment participants did not present any significant challenges. Analysis of data: Once data was collected from the focus group discussions and interviews, it was translated from Arabic into English with support from the two Egyptian assessors and then reviewed by the team leader to identify key child protection trends and themes. Where possible and security permitted, the team tried to triangulate information and verify the assessment findings. For example the team visited hospitals in Ajdabiya and Benghazi to cross-check information from interviews and focus group discussions. The information was then compiled and written up at a later stage, with support from a consultant. Verification of assessment data: The unique political context in eastern Libya made it particularly challenging to ensure the neutrality and impartiality of data collected from IDP communities. Public support for the revolution and against Gaddafi was demonstrated by all participants of this needs assessment.. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that an outward display of support for the Gaddafi regime may have negative implications for a person s safety and security in Eastern Libya.. This context may have contributed towards exaggerations and rumours and is likely to have shaped the views of participants and the data provided for the assessment. Within this context the assessment team made significant efforts to ensure the quality and credibility of information collected during the assessment. This included: Daily review of data: establishing a daily team meeting at the end of each day to enable the team leader to review information collected by the assessors and allow them to raise any challenges or concerns from the focus groups discussions and key informant interviews. 11 Members of the opposition forces include people (defected military, police and political figures as well as other members of the community) who have taken up arms against the Gaddafi regime. They often refer to themselves as Revolutionaries. 8

9 Employing a check and balance strategy towards collection of data: as it was felt that IDP populations would not feel comfortable discussing sensitive issues with non-libyan nationals, the 16 Libyan assessors selected by the TNC played the main role in collecting information from participants through focus group discussions and interviews. To ensure that the assessment retained its impartiality, the two international child protection specialists and two Egyptian assessors helped to oversee the collection, analysis and neutral interpretation of this data. Where possible they carried out follow up checks to ensure that the information received was credible and non-biased. Conducting verification of findings: where possible information was verified with as many respondents as possible and reports of particularly sensitive information investigated. For example at the initial stages of the assessment the majority of participants in the focus group discussions (in Benghazi) were from Ajdabiya. To verify the information they provided, a small team of assessors visited Ajdabiya to conduct direct observation and in-depth interviews with local residents. The information was then compiled, analyzed and complimented with secondary sources such as news reports. It must be noted that while considerable effort went into maintaining these quality checks, logistical and time constraints meant that it was not always possible for the team to fully verify all the assessment findings. Ethical considerations: The assessment team was committed to ensuring that the assessment was carried out ethically and safely. Prior to conducting the needs assessment, IDP camp managers and key staff/volunteers were contacted for authorization and informed about the objectives and process. Both adult and child participants in focus groups discussions and key informant interviews were fully briefed on the purpose, ethics and confidentiality of the assessment, and it was clearly explained that their participation was voluntary and they could withdraw at any point. Child friendly language was used to explain the ethical issues to children. Consent was obtained for all participants prior to their participation in the focus groups discussions and interviews, with adults requested to sign consent forms. For children, consent was sought first from a carer or parent and then the child was asked to sign or thumbprint the form. The assessment team also took care to ensure confidentiality of all the information gathered, privacy when collecting data and respect for participants. Child Safeguarding: The importance of upholding Save the Children s Child Safeguarding Policy (CSP) was emphasized at every stage of the assessment process. All members of the assessment team were trained 9

10 on the CSP and signed the policy as part of their contract, committing themselves to reporting any case of child abuse identified or reported throughout the course of the research. In absence of a functional child protection case reporting system the head of the Children's Affairs Department (Ms. Burnia Elbekre) took responsibility as the CSP focal point. During the course of the assessment, two cases of abuse were reported by children. One involved a 12 year old girl (a participant in the focus group discussions) who reported physical abuse by her father and requested support from the assessors. The second case concerned more serious allegations against one of the IDP camp workers, claiming that he was acting aggressively and using abusive language with children. This was further substantiated by reports from adults in the camp and direct observation. In both cases confidential follow up and investigation was conducted immediately, the children provided with support and appropriate actions taken. Limitations of the assessment: The assessment was carried out under extremely challenging circumstances, which placed significant constraints on the collection and analysis of research findings. These included: Limited staff time: Competing demands on the team leader s time made management of the assessment, in particular the analysis and reporting of the data extremely challenging. As the only Save the Children child protection representative in Benghazi (and one of the only international child protection specialists in Libya) during the assessment period, the team leader was also tasked with managing the implementation of emergency programming including the development of partnerships with key actors, selection of programme sites, the distribution of recreational kits, delivery of child protection training for volunteers, participation in cluster meetings, drafting of proposals and other compelling priorities. All those unavoidable tasks, inherent to a first phase emergency response, were undertaken simultaneously with the assessment activities. As a result this caused distraction from the assessment and delays in analysing and compiling the assessment report. Neutrality of assessment: As noted previously the unique political climate in eastern Libya made the collection of unbiased, impartial information from the needs assessment difficult. Despite significant efforts, it was not possible to completely verify the accuracy and credibility of all of the assessment findings. Moreover it must be noted that the assessment was carried out in partnership with the newly formed TNC and relied on its judgement for the selection of assessors, assessment sites, access to IDP communities and identification of assessment participants. While this partnership was essential to enable Save the Children s access to communities and ability to operate, it may have implications for the neutrality of the research. 10

11 Limited capacity of assessment team: Due to decades of repression and limited civic freedom within Libyan society, national and local NGOs are only recently beginning to emerge in eastern Libya and international humanitarian work is a new phenomenon. The 16 Libyan assessors within the team, although extremely motivated, hardworking and passionate about child protection, had no previous research experience or exposure to humanitarian work and child protection in emergencies. As a result, although they were provided with in-depth training, a number of challenges were experienced during the collection of data. In particular there were initial issues around managing the expectations of the assessment participants (in at least two cases IDP camp managers understood that Save the Children were coming with presents for the children resulting in hundreds of children gathering) and obtaining informed consent. These difficulties however were quickly resolved through a review training of ethical data collection techniques on the first day of the assessment and assessors quickly improved their capacity. Translation issues: A lack of in-country professional translators to translate and adapt the technical content of the Child Protection Rapid Assessment Tool caused unfortunate delays. Moreover, despite much appreciated translation support from the UNICEF office in Jordan and efforts by the global CPWG, extremely limited internet and the absence of fax facilities meant that the translated tools were not available in time for the assessment team s training in Benghazi. With support from the Egyptian assessors however, most of the tools were eventually adapted and translated and efforts made to accommodate the input from the CPWG and UNICEF. Analysis of the assessment data was also severely hampered by the lack of reliable translators. While the team was initially supported by a volunteer Libyan translator, he departed prior to the data collection phase and it was not possible to find a replacement at short notice. As a result, the two Egyptian assessors were tasked with translating all of the information collected from the focus group discussions and interviews into English. Despite huge efforts on their part, they had to depart the assessment team early for security reasons and were unable to complete translation of all of the data. Moreover the quality of the translated transcripts was low and they were not available to clarify inconsistencies, gaps or errors in the information. This placed inevitable limitations on the reliability of the data (and despite repeated efforts to obtain translators with support from the TNC), caused significant constraints to the analysis of findings. Collection of data: Some challenges also emerged with the assessment tool. Five of the interviews were initially conducted using the key informant tool from the Child Protection Rapid Assessment Tool, however the way in which the questions were formulated meant that they mainly captured child protection data from the participants current situation and not from their place of origin. Moreover, assessors came back with inadequate information regarding specific protection concerns due to the tool s tick box format. To address these issues, the interview questions were reformulated and assessors 11

12 instructed to record comprehensive narrative data for all of the interviewees responses for the remainder of the interviews. Participation of children under seven: Another limitation of the assessment was that it did not fully capture information from children below the age of seven. Although the focus group discussions and interviews with parents partially filled this information gap, the assessment does not claim to capture a holistic picture of their needs. Lack of reliable data: Due to the extremely volatile political and security context in Libya it was extremely difficult to obtain reliable data regarding children, particularly in conflict areas. While all efforts were made to obtain child segregated data regarding prevalence of injuries, deaths, incidents of separation, physical and other child protection concerns information on the ground remains incomplete. Moreover information regarding the pre-existing child protection concerns was extremely scarce, partially due to the limited functional capacity of the Ministry of Social Welfare in the aftermath of the conflict. Loss of assessment data: A significant amount of assessment data was lost due to a computer virus and crash that infected the laptop of the team leader, including a substantial loss of content from the focus group discussions. This extremely unfortunate incident has inevitably delayed the delivery of the report and placed major constraints on the analysis of the findings. In particular, as there is only a partial dataset available for analysis it has not been possible to draw out reliable quantitative data on the overall prevalence of child protection issues. However review of the available information has enabled the identification of repeated child protection themes and trends, which have helped to form the basis of the report s recommendations. Due to this delay, and the rapidly evolving political and humanitarian situation in eastern Libya, some of the findings within this report may now be out of date. Nonetheless, a number of provisional conclusions can be drawn from the assessment research to provide guidance for the development of further child protection programming within the region. 12

13 3. Assessment findings The child protection rapid needs assessment echoes findings from earlier assessments by humanitarian agencies, which indicate that there may not be a need for a traditional large-scale humanitarian response in the eastern part of Libya at this stage. However, needs on the ground change quickly. As the crisis continues, there are a number of significant protection concerns facing children that are becoming increasingly urgent due to the prolonged displacement of Libyan families and disrupted routines of IDPs and local communities. These include: Separation of children from their families Physical harm including exposure to UXO Psychosocial distress caused by children s ongoing exposure to the conflict Involvement of children in armed conflict Reports of sexual violence against women and children Shortage of some basic food items and medication, particularly for infants and young girls Limited capacity of child protection services 3.1 Separation of children from their families Key Findings: The issue of family separation was raised in a number of the focus groups discussions. According to participants, displacement and separation of families was common in areas where violence had erupted and there were many reports of children who had been voluntarily or involuntarily separated from their parents as a result of the crisis. This included girls and boys who had fled conflict areas to escape the fighting, others who had been allegedly kidnapped for forced recruitment by military forces and children who had left their homes to join the fighting without informing their families. 12 Voluntary separations: There were many accounts of voluntary family separations with children sent away from conflict areas to stay with relatives or friends in safer locations. Some adolescent boys were also reported to have voluntarily left their families to participate in the fighting against government forces. In some cases communication between children and their families had been cut off due to ongoing fighting, and it was suspected the children or their parents had been killed. 12 Participants broadly referred to missing children to describe boys and girls who had been separated from their families as a result of violence. 13

14 Involuntary separations: There were also accounts of children being involuntarily separated from their families as a result of the crisis. Some assessment participants had heard that children as young as one week old had been orphaned or left behind when their families fled fighting in cities such as Ajdabiya. In cases where children were found unaccompanied, neighbours or volunteers reportedly handed them over to hospitals, mosques, children s care homes or to social workers for temporary safekeeping and care. 13 Where possible, the children were then reunited with their families. It was noted that ICRC had been active in working with the Libyan Red Cross and the authorities to broadcast regular messages about missing children on the radio in Benghazi in the hope of reunifying them with their families. In some cases, children were also reportedly taken in by neighbours or friends. According to assessment participants, Libyan cultural values meant that the overall number of unaccompanied children in the conflict was likely to be low. If the parents cannot be with them, then the relatives and neighbours keep them like their own children. This is our culture. You will not find any child left alone or abandoned, noted one interviewee. It was reported that children in orphanages and children s homes had been taken out and cared for by concerned staff when fighting broke out. There were also many unconfirmed accounts of children being allegedly kidnapped by government forces for forced recruitment into the fighting. Due to the inaccessibility of the conflict areas it was not possible to obtain reliable estimates of the numbers of children separated from their families. While Save the Children received some information on missing children from hospital authorities in Ajdabiya (which stated that out of a total of 410 people, only 20 boys between the ages of years were missing from Ajdabiya) 14 the intervention of other actors is required to identify separated children in other conflict areas such as Misrata and Tripoli. Since the assessment s completion however, ICRC, which is present in Benghazi, Tripoli, the Tunisian border and other strategic positions in the conflict area, has yet to receive any accounts of unaccompanied children. Cross-Border Separation: Despite regular reports from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on the cross border displacement of families, no information inside Libya was available on whether separated or unaccompanied children had been crossing Libya s borders into neighbouring countries. According to one key informant, unaccompanied and separated children from Libya had fled to the refugee camps in Tunisia where they had been placed in interim care under the supervision of one individual/agency. However, ICRC who is present in the Tunisian camps, was unable to confirm the presence of any Libyan children 13 For example, it was reported during the assessment that 55 unaccompanied children were brought to Ajdabiya hospital where staff provided them with interim care and initiated reunification activities. The majority of children were subsequently reported to be successfully reunified with their families. 14 This included 13 boys between the ages of years, 4 boys between years and 3 boys between years. 14

15 without families. UNICEF, UNHCR and Save the Children are currently conducting an assessment and the number of separated and unaccompanied children in Tunisia and UNICEF has established a programme with national partners for unaccompanied children. 15 Recommendations While numbers of separated children appear to be relatively low, it is possible that the number of family separation cases will increase as the crisis continues in Libya. In order to ensure the protection of children separated from their families by the conflict it is recommended that: Further investigation is carried out to assess the exact numbers of missing children from conflict zones, including the numbers of separated and unaccompanied children who have crossed over the borders to neighbouring countries and the number of unaccompanied minors from other countries. Advocacy to prevent any further separation of children from their families is conducted with key actors including TNC authorities, humanitarian agencies and communities. A comprehensive case management system is developed in partnership with the Ministry of Social Welfare to help identify and respond to the needs of all vulnerable children including girls and boys separated from their families as a result of the conflict. This would include the provision of support for existing community care structures such as spontaneous fostering. Small scale Family Tracing and Reunification (FTR) activities are initiated in conjunction with key actors and integrated into existing programmes. As a starting point, a short-term FTR specialist could be recruited to develop this initiative, and to identify further tracing and reunification needs in other conflict affected areas such as Misrata and border areas. The situation of separated and unaccompanied children in western areas of the country (where Save the Children does not yet have a presence) is closely monitored through coordination with ICRC, the Libyan Red Crescent and IOM. 3.2 Care for vulnerable children 15 As of July 2011, a total of 73 unaccompanied minors were identified living in camps in Tunisia, and another 48 unaccompanied children were identified in host communities in Northern Tunisia. All unaccompanied children identified were third country nationals originating from Sub Saharian Africa/Asia/Middle East, some are migrants and others are asylum seekers/refugees and all fled the conflict in Libya. 15

16 Key Findings: Strong community support for the care of separated and unaccompanied children, along with relatively high standards of care in orphanages and homes for children were identified during the assessment. Family and community care: There were many accounts of spontaneous fostering of children separated from their families as a result of the conflict. This was attributed to Libya s strong extended family system, where children on their own (i.e. boys and girls whose parents are unable to take care of them) are traditionally taken in by relatives or close community members. My uncle found a missing child he is looking after him and looking for his parents, said one boy from Ajdabiya. TNC, religious and civic actors, including the Ministry of Social Welfare of the TNC, mosque authorities and volunteers from the Libyan Red Crescent were also reported to have helped with the provision of interim care for children separated from their families, particularly in the early days of the conflict. According to an earlier Save the Children child protection assessment in Benghazi it was noted that institutional care was generally considered a last resort and largely reserved for children born out of wedlock, known as illegal children. 16 Residential care: In Benghazi, where there are a small number of children s homes and orphanages, the assessment team visited the main children s institution, the Social Home of Child Care, to investigate the quality of care provided. Conditions were of high standard, with 51 children supported by 141 staff members (made up of teachers, social workers and support staff) and sufficient accommodation and recreational space provided. The majority of children were considered illegal children, with only one child reported to have entered the institution since the beginning of April. A small number of other children s homes in Benghazi, Al Bayda and Al Abyar were also visited by members of the assessment team where care conditions were reported to be of a similar standard. In addition to the relatively high standards of physical care facilities, care institutions appeared to enjoy strong community support. For example since the crisis, families had been supporting girls and boys in the Social Home of Child Care in Benghazi, by bringing their children to join them in supervised play activities (up to children daily). However, a significant concern identified as part of the assessment was the lack of capacity of staff within these care institutions to provide comprehensive psychosocial support to children. In an interview with some of the care staff, it was reported that the children had been acting scared since attacks had taken place in Benghazi, with some of them afraid to sleep on their own, experiencing nightmares and responding fearfully to the sound of gunshots. The care staff noted that they 16 Conducted by Victoria Whitaker, Child Protection Advisor for Save the Children UK as part of: Save the Children, March 2011: Rapid Needs Assessment East Libya March

17 had never dealt with this type of issue before and didn t know how to respond appropriately to help the children. It should be noted furthermore that while the assessment found standards of care institutions in eastern Libya to be relatively high, there remains uncertainty around the continuation of these care homes in the future. With no end to the conflict in sight, there is fear of disruption to funding and the possibility of closure. Recommendations In order to support the care and protection of vulnerable, separated and unaccompanied children in eastern Libya it is recommended that: Spontaneous foster families and other relevant community actors who are caring for vulnerable children are identified, supported and monitored to provide appropriate levels of care. Staff in children s care institutions in eastern Libya are provided with training in the provision of psychosocial support to ensure that they are equipped to adequately support children s protection needs. Children s care institutions are closely monitored to ensure that they meet the basic needs of resident girls and boys (physical, emotional and educational), and that they do not significantly increase their intake of children in response to the conflict. The Ministry of Social Welfare is supported to improve Libya s child care system on a long-term basis, including deinstitutionalization and the development of family based-care services such as family tracing and reunification and well monitored foster care. As a last resort, children s institutions could be used for the interim care of separated and unaccompanied children. 17

18 3.3 Physical harm and violence Key findings: Several accounts of children being killed or injured due to the conflict were reported by assessment participants. 17 Many children in focus group discussions also reported witnessing some form of violence. Physical harm: Despite significant efforts by the assessment team to obtain information from hospital sources and the health cluster, it was not possible to confirm exact figures regarding the death and injury toll in conflict areas. Reports (released since the assessment) estimate that 10,000 15,000 people have been killed in the conflict as of the beginning of June While it was not possible to obtain reliable data on children, situation appears to be particularly severe for girls and boys in Misrata, where they count among the victims of heavy bombing, shelling, snipers and attacks on hospitals. 19 Exposure to UXO: It was noted that one of the biggest physical threats to children and their families was the prevalence of UXO in conflict zones. In Ajdabiya, the assessment team witnessed the random storage of UXO, including weapons, shells and even rockets in areas with families and children, and girls and boys were observed playing with bullets and guns. People tested rockets in our house we were so scared, said one adolescent girl from Brega. The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and Handicap International have been active in beginning mine clearance and Mine Risk/UXO education (with support from the Libyan Boy Scouts in conducting awareness activities), however it is clear that their team is not big enough to respond adequately to the full range of threats in conflict areas. While a number of awareness raising measures have been put in place (with safety messages disseminated through leaflets, posters, community leaders and on the radio) the clearance of UXO, particularly mines, from conflict areas is a critical priority. With people now beginning to return to Ajdabiya and other conflict areas as the situation stabilizes, the prevalence of UXO is considered one of the most urgent protection concerns for children. Witnessing Violence: In many of the focus group discussions children reported that they had witnessed 17 While all reports of physical harm to children were attributed to Government forces, the recently released inquiry into human rights violations in Libya by the UN Human Rights Council suggests children on both sides of the conflict have been killed or injured in the ongoing fighting in Libya. 18 Figures reported in Report of the International Commission of Inquiry to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law in the Libyan Arab JamahiriyaA/HRC/17/ According to UNICEF estimates, children as young as 9 months have been killed in Misrata, with at least 20 child deaths and many more injuries due to shrapnel from mortars, tanks and bullet wounds. Most of these dates have occurred since the beginning of June. It is also reported that around 1000 persons, including children, are still missing in the city after months of fighting. UNICEF, 15 June 2011: Situation Report # 18 - Sub-regional Libya crisis 18

19 some form of violence as a result of the conflict. Children had seen family members and other children killed or maimed, their homes and communities reduced to rubble and had seen dead bodies, severe injuries, attacks, bombs, rockets and destruction of buildings as they fled their homes. Children have witnessed non-stop shelling, bombing, firing, destruction of their homes and property by the forces loyal to Gaddafi said a representative of the TNC interviewed for the assessment. A girl in Al Nahar IDP camp said, My brother saw an ambulance that was hit by a shower of bullets. It was carrying injured mercenaries to the hospital they attacked and fired on it because it was carrying bad people. Children s ongoing exposure to graphic violent conflict footage on television and radio broadcasts was also reported, contributing towards feelings of distress felt by children. Guns: While reports of violence were mainly related to the zones of conflict, children also reported witnessing indiscriminate firing of weapons on a regular basis in Benghazi, where firearms are readily available among the population. In many of the IDP populations where the assessment took place, armed guards were clearly visible and in some cases were even being used to guard schools where Save the Children was conducting psychosocial activities for children. Many children in the focus groups, particularly girls, reported being scared of guns, however as a result of negotiations, guns are now less visible in the camps and the sound of gunfire has drastically reduced. Other children however indicated that they felt safer with armed guards to protect them and it was observed that during recreational activities many girls and boys were drawing guns, bullets, playing with imaginary guns and singing war songs. Domestic violence and corporal punishment: While the issues of domestic violence and corporal punishment were not raised during the assessment research, Save the Children has heard subsequent reports from IDPs and community members in Benghazi that families are turning against each other over their political allegiance to Gaddafi or the revolution. This is believed to be predominantly happening in the west of the country. Recommendations In order to respond to and prevent physical harm against children it is recommended that: Urgent advocacy is conducted to accelerate the mine clearance programme in conflict affected zones. Advocacy is carried out with conflict actors to ensure that special protection is afforded to children in line with international legal obligations, to call for the voluntary relocation of children and families from war zones and to ensure the proper treatment of injured children. Advocacy is continued with key actors to limit the visibility of weapons around children s areas (schools, child activity centres) and to reduce the occurrence of gunshots in community areas. 19

20 Children and families affected by the conflict are provided with necessary psychosocial support (and where necessary medical support for physical injuries) and parents, teachers and community workers are provided with the necessary skills to protect and support children. Community based child protection mechanisms are established to identify and respond to protection risks to children (including physical harm), in support of a more formal case management system. Awareness raising and education activities to highlight the risks of UXO and mines are provided within conflict- affected communities, with mine awareness included as a cross cutting issue across all child protection programme activities. An in-depth assessment of violence perpetrated by community/family members against children is conducted, including an examination of pre-existing domestic violence trends. 3.4 Psychosocial distress Key Findings Indications of psychosocial distress: Signs of psychosocial distress were frequently observed in children who participated in the assessment with exposure to the conflict reported to have left many with varied levels of stress and anxiety. During the assessment many parents reported that their children were experiencing problems with sleeping (including nightmares and screaming in their sleep), bed wetting, aggressive and/or antisocial behaviour, and lack of appetite. Some mothers reported that their children held up their fingers as victory signs during sleep. It was also observed that many children were scared of guns and the sound of gunshots and that during recreational activities many of them drew pictures of war scenes. These findings were reinforced by data collected by a Libyan child psychologist who was interviewed as part of the assessment. In a survey of 51,000 adults and children, preliminary findings indicated that 4000 children displaced from Brega, Ras-Lanuf and Ajdabiya demonstrated signs of psychosocial distress including bed wetting, sleeping difficulties, nightmares, stammering, aggressive behaviours, hyper activity and phobias. Causes of psychosocial distress: The psychosocial distress observed during the assessment were attributed to children s exposure to violence, destruction of their homes, movement to unfamiliar surroundings, lack of access to basic services and disruption to their lives and routines. They were bombing our house so we read the Holy Quran and got ready to die. A rocket fell on our car and destroyed it. But thank god we were saved, said one girl from Ziltan in Al Nakheel. Some children also reported that they found the ongoing exposure to the sound of gunshots and sight of weapons to be scary. According to assessment participants, the 20