Context

According to the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), an estimated 29 million people will require humanitarian assistance this year. Among them, 20 million people are targeted for life-saving aid, including 10.8 million children. Over 5 million individuals are earmarked for protection services, including 2.7 million vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Women and girls, particularly, face heightened risks during crises, such as GBV, sexual exploitation, forced child marriage, and early pregnancy, as disruptions to their social networks and protective services exacerbate their vulnerabilities.

Internal displacement affects 4.39 million people, half of whom are children under 18 years old. In 2022 alone, over 248,600 irregular migrant Ethiopians journeyed to Yemen, with 11% of them being children under 18, highly susceptible to significant protection risks.

With an annual budget averaging approximately $4 million, Save the Children's child protection and migration program focuses on three key sub-themes: strengthening child protection systems, safeguarding children from violence, and advocating for durable solutions for migrant and displaced children through evidence-based, multisectoral programming and advocacy.

Program Objectives

By 2030, Save the Children aims to achieve three breakthroughs for children: survival, learning, and protection. The organization is dedicated to enhancing children's protection against violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation by bolstering child protection systems across its operational areas. Efforts concentrate on the most vulnerable children in the country, including those at risk of risky migration, lacking appropriate parental care, subjected to harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage, or exposed to violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation in emergencies.

Tools and Approaches

Save the Children employs a diverse array of tools and approaches, including comprehensive child protection case management, psychological first aid, child and youth resilience building, TEAM UP, and other mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) tools. Community mobilization, capacity development for duty bearers, advocacy, and protection systems building at different levels are integral to its strategies. Research and knowledge-building are pivotal in guiding interventions.

In migration programs, Save the Children utilizes multi-sectoral approaches or 'layering' complementary programs to deliver a package of services addressing the needs of children and youth at all migration stages—whether contemplating migration, in transit due to voluntary migration, trafficking, or displacement, or in the process of reuniting with families and reintegrating into communities.

All programs prioritize empowering children and youth, incorporating gender-sensitive and transformative approaches.

Common Approaches

Save the Children's program interventions primarily revolve around the Safe Families and Steps to Protect (case management) common approaches. Additionally, the Life Skills for Success approach is central to its migration programs. Local CSOs are actively engaged in program implementation.