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Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management Crisis and Emergency Management Newsletter Website |
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March
2006
Volume
10 - Number 2 |
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Save the Children is a leading international relief and development organization working in more than 100 countries to ensure the well-being of children and promote self-sufficiency in their communities. Save the Children also actively works with the international community to safeguard children’s legal and human rights. Founded in New York City in 1932 and modeled after the British Save the Children Fund, Save the Children’s first mission was to feed the malnourished children of Appalachia affected by the Great Depression. A current focus of the organization is to increase the consideration of children during disaster planning and response. Save the Children assists communities in their development of Emergency Response Plans and community-based early warning systems, hoping to decrease the devastating effects of disasters. Save the Children also has substantial operational capabilities and deploys staff and all types of aid after a disaster. Save the Children identifies seven critical types of protection that children require in all disasters areas and war zones: 1) Protection from physical harm; 2) Protection from exploitation and gender-based violence; 3) Protection from psychosocial distress; 4) Protection from recruitment into armed groups; 5) Protection from family separation; 6) Protection from abuses related to forced displacement; 7) Protection from being denied quality education. Their response to the 2005 Asian Tsunami illustrates programs that Save the Children is capable of implementing--post-disaster--to address these seven critical areas of protection. In the aftermath of the Tsunami, Save the Children immediately pursued the collection of children who were orphaned or separated from parents. Since then, they have registered 7,000 separated children and reunited thousands of children with their families. Proactively accounting for the children reduces instances of child trafficking, sexual assaults, and prostitution. Offering education and re-opening schools is a top priority to create stability in the children’s lives and demonstrate a sense of normalcy. To accelerate the re-opening of facilities, Save the Children utilizes a cash-for-work program that employs thousands of refugees to clean schools and clinics, as well as debris from the roads. Initially, education activities focus on protection, providing survival messages and psychological support but eventually expand to a more normal curriculum. Community kitchens and child activity centers are also opened at refugee camps to ensure proper nutrition and maintain a safe environment for women and children. These centers offer a myriad of activities to curb boredom and allow children to express their emotions through art and music. Puppet shows and theater provide therapy for children who often illustrate aggressive behavior, nightmares, and eating or learning problems. The invaluable community-based approach that Save the Children offers is provided on long-term basis as required by the affected areas. Source: www.savethechildren.org |