UNICEF CHAMPIONS CHILD PROTECTION IN THREE NRs (PAGE 11, NOV 27, 2010)

THE United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is facilitating the establishment of child protection networks in the three northern regions to champion the affairs of children in those areas during emergency situations.
This is to ensure that the needs of children during emergencies, such as access to healthcare, food, shelter and security, are adequately addressed so as to promote their wellbeing.
Already, the UNICEF has supported the formation of ten child protection networks in the northern region, as well as regional networks in the three regions.
To further realise this goal, the UNICEF organised a three-day training programme to equip the members of these networks with the requisite knowledge, skills and best practices that are applied to address the needs of children in emergency situations.
The workshop, which took place in Tamale, also sought to build the capacity of the participants to design mechanisms that would prevent, respond and minimize the risks that children face during and after emergencies in their respective communities.
Topics treated included: an overview of what an emergency is, the impact of emergencies on children, resource mobilization for child protection during emergencies and the approaches and issues involved in child protection.
Addressing the opening ceremony, the Chief of Child Protection Programme at UNICEF in Ghana, Ms Sheema Sen Gupta explained that protecting children during emergency situations was very relevant to the welfare of the children, since it shielded them from violence, exploitation and other forms of abuse.
She said during emergencies, such as in disaster situations or conflicts, children were more vulnerable because they lacked the capacity to take care of themselves.
Ms Gupta noted that child protection cuts across various sectors and these include social welfare, justice delivery and community development.
She therefore stressed the need for increased co-ordination among various institutions so as to enable each body play its part in the addressing children’s needs during emergencies.
Ms Gupta also mentioned that the UNICEF considered the establishment and effective functioning of child protection networks as a priority and was therefore willing to organise more training programmes for child protectors.
She entreated the various networks to design effective action plans to guide their activities so as to attain high results.
The Chief of UNICEF’s field office in Tamale, Ms Shaya Ibrahim Asindua said her office was working with the various networks in the three regions, particularly in addressing child trafficking and migration in the north.
She said UNICEF was hopeful that child protection in Ghana would be achievable because the country had shown promise in securing the welfare of its children, which is evidenced in the fact that Ghana was the first to ratify the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Ms Asindua noted that, aside child protection, the UNICEF office in Ghana was also working towards promoting gender parity in education and supporting immunization exercises and guinea worm eradication, water and sanitation provision.