The goal of Save the Children Sweden’s emergency programme is to reduce the vulnerability of children prior to and during emergencies which include both conflicts and disasters.
Child-centered community based disaster risk reduction
Child-centred disaster risk reduction is a community based framework where children play important roles in their communities to minimise the negative impacts of disasters. Children are included in a meaningful way to assess, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate disaster risk reduction. This programme works with policy makers, decision makers, emergency practitioners, the media and the general public to raise awareness and build the capacity of all actors to respond effectively for children in a disaster setting.
Engaging with civil society and encouraging participation
Civil society is a group of people joining together for a common objective. It includes non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, professional associations, churches, trade unions, media, academia etc. This programme builds the capacity of civil society organisations to participate in developing and implementing emergency response plans together with local authorities. We improve dialogue between stakeholders and work to improve the socioeconomic conditions of marginalised and excluded groups to increase their participation in decision-making and reduce their vulnerability to emergencies.
Child protection systems in emergencies
A rights based child protection system is equipped to adapt to emergency situations and builds on existing community-based structures. This programme works to ensure child protection systems respond effectively in an emergency and prevent family separations, reunite children with their families, seek agreement with combatants to protect children and set up child friendly safe spaces. This programme provides a mechanism for children and their mothers to report human rights abuses, protect children from physical, psychological and sexual harm, and recieve psychosocial support. We empower and work with children to identify and address child protection issues before and during emergencies. We evaluate past and current methods and draw upon local expertise to ensure our work is effective.
Education in emergencies
It is crucial to provide education from the outset of every emergency response. Not to do so is to deny affected children of their right to education, crucial survival skills and the capacity to be productive citizens once the emergency is over. This programme ensures children are provided a safe space to recover from the trauma of the emergency. It offers children a sense of normality, structure and hope while they continue their education. By establishing safe spaces for schools in emergency settings we help to protect children from death and bodily harm and impart critical information on simple hygiene and health issues. Children in such schools are less vulnerable to being recruited into armed groups or being trafficked.
Including marginalised children in emergency responses
A key part of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is to ensure inclusion and non-discrimination. This programme develops a strategy for finding a gender balance and ensuring marginalised children are included in emergency responses. We work through the Save the Children Alliance at the global level to ensure emergency preparedness plans, response plans and interagency working groups reach all groups in society. We encourage such practices to be documented and replicated in other agencies, countries and regions throughout the world.