Children On The Move

• ISS

• Ukraine
• International
• Moldova
• Romania

In brief

Provides coordinated support and vital care to children and their families moving across borders as a result of migration and war. This nonprofit project is more than ever necessary during the Ukrainian and COVID19 crisis which have devastating impacts on many children.

The challenges

“Children on the move” refers to a broad category of children that move within or between countries for a variety of reasons. An estimated 50 million children are on the move in the world today. Many more are arriving every day from Ukraine. With the devastating impact of the war and coronavirus crisis, even more children will be on the move, in need of assistance.

THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE

As of today more than 4.3 Million Ukrainian children refugees have crossed the borders to flee the war. Nearly one in two. Most of them are only with their mother. Men in the Ukraine aged 18 to 60 have been barred from leaving the country. As a result, families have been or are being separated.

ConnectAID's partner the International Social Service (ISS) and its team in Moldova, Romania and other bordering countries are on the frontline to ensure that children and their families are being protected.

THE INTERNATIONAL SITUATION

There are many factors which contribute to the movement of children across international borders. The most common underlying causes are surges in protracted conflicts, climate change-induced environmental degradation, more frequent natural disasters and rising social and economic inequalities. While levels of vulnerability are dependent on those multiple factors, COVID-19 is likely to pose an additional threat for those in transit. The protection of migrant children needs to be a central component of the COVID-19 response.

Today more than ever, the combination of forced migration and the possible separation of children from their parents not only threatens the liberty of these effected children, but has serious repercussions for their safety and psychological development.

It is the governments’ responsibility to protect displaced children regardless of their country of origin. However, while all countries have some form of legislation to protect children, many do not have robust provisions in place – and even less so a collaborative and coordinated model through which to identify, support and re-integrate vulnerable children back into their homes when it is possible.

This gap between need and collaborative action is particularly visible when the number of migrant children worldwide is very high; a trend which seems to be increasing annually and globally. In these situations, a coordinated cross border approach and specialized expertise, as provided by our network of social services, is essential to ensuring children on the move receive individualized support which places their protection, care and well-being first.

Action and Impact

As a major international player in the protection of children affected by migration, our mission is to provide support and follow-up social services on a transnational level to all those who need it. We focus particularly on children and their families who are confronted with complex socio-legal problems as a result of migration and other transnational factors such as the impact of the pandemic.

Our network extends across 120 countries, ensuring our capacity to provide expert and coordinated international assistance wherever needed. We promote cooperation between child protection services and diverse governmental, non-governmental and inter-agency stakeholders to create and implement sustainable solutions that will enhance the protection of children in vulnerable situations.

As a response to the Ukrainian crisis, we are on the frontline taking action to ensure that children and their families are being protected. ISS Moldova is mapping Ukrainian refugees for referral to social workers for case management and training local professionals in order to provide direct and individualised assistance.

Furthermore, a day care centre has been established on the premises of ISS Moldova to accommodate 25 children and their mothers by providing ludo therapy and counselling. Outreach activities and financial support are also been organised for Ukrainian refugees stranded in various Moldovan Cities.

ISS Romania is providing basic needs and guidance services for families escaping the war but more importantly, our teams are doing their best to identify cases of unaccompanied minors and those at risk of human trafficking.

Our interventions emphasize protecting, supporting and reuniting children and families wherever possible. We do this by providing personalized socio-legal assistance and psychological support, and by establishing a link with in-country social services. In addition to direct field activities, we engage in training and capacity building projects with local social workers, care givers and officials from government authorities. We also contribute to advocacy, policy development and research to promote and respect the best interest of children wherever possible – as this is at the heart of our mission.

Throughout our history, we have been called upon to provide services in world wars, conflicts and humanitarian disasters, and we have done so with objectivity, neutrality, and with the primary goal of acting in the best interest of children.

As the armed conflict unfolds in Ukraine, the ISS network is prepared to advocate for children and families, provide services where needed as families cross borders, and ensure that both in the short and long term, children remain or are reunited with families, they are protected, and there are durable solutions for children to reach their full potential.

The need for coordinated international social services is greater than ever. More and more children are on the move across international borders. With your support, our network can continue to provide the support they need in Ukraine and for any child on the move needing support around the world.

video : https://youtu.be/BhCAABBMEkg

Tax deduction possible in the following countries : Switzerland

Partners : UNICEF, OHCHR, Save the Children, Terre des hommes, CRC, CRIN, Red Cross, IFCO...

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