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Interview with Child Protection Specialist
Children in Sudan “Still Not Safe”
Interview with Christine Knudsen, Child Protection Specialist
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Christine Knudsen, Save the Children’s child protection specialist, recently returned from Sudan, after visiting refugee camps in West Darfur, where Save the Children has expanded its relief efforts to assist hundreds of thousands of children and their families who have been forced from their homes as a result of ethnic violence.
How many children have been displaced by the crisis?
We know that over 1 million people have been driven from their homes by armed militia, and we would estimate that some 400,000-500,000 of these are children. Those who were lucky enough to make it to temporary camps, which have been set up for displaced families in West Darfur, now face hunger, disease and continued threats of violence. Many children were separated from their families during sudden, violent attacks on their homes and by the long journey to the refugee camps. Others were orphaned or sent to live with family members.
How are children and families coping in light of the many challenges they face?
People are starting to build their routines in the camps, and trying to meet basic needs. Some services are being introduced such as health clinics and feeding centers, and people are starting to think about what they will do next. What is troubling is that while these people have fled their homes to escape violent attacks and the destruction of their homes and villages, they are still not safe. Attacks continue in and around the camps and people are still very frightened.
What are the living conditions like for children and families in the refugee camps?
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Typically, people in this part of Sudan live in mud brick houses. Since they have been forced to flee, they have constructed shelters from woven grass mats which provide shade but little protection from the elements. Once the rainy season begins, these grass shelters will be useless in providing any relief or comfort. Many families fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs, so they have little or no belongings. With so many people concentrated in limited spaces, there is poor sanitation and hygiene, and as a result, we are seeing increasing health problems like diarrhea. To make matters worse, many children suffer from malnutrition which only increases their risk of becoming ill. We expect the situation to worsen during the rainy season when malaria and respiratory illnesses become more prevalent and access to food will be more limited.
What is typical day like for a child?
Children rise early after sleeping on grass mats alongside family members. Hunger, malnutrition and diarrhea have weakened many children. Without structured activities, children have little else to do but wander and play games among themselves. In some of the camps where we have been able to make an impact, we have activities like singing, dancing and sports.
With so many children displaced for so long, are they able to get any schooling?
In some places Save the Children has been working with UNICEF to provide schooling, but the classrooms are small and there is not enough room for all the children who want to attend. In some camps, a second shift of classes has been added in the late afternoon for a few hours to accommodate more of the children who want to attend.
Why is child protection a major concern in the camps?
Fleeing from homes and villages may remove people from immediate violence and conflict, but the consequences can be equally dangerous. Family separation, sexual violence, malnutrition and famine, lack of access to education and health care are some of the issues we try to address in refugee camps. We try to prevent the worst abuses, keep families together, ensure that children have a chance to go to school, and promote respect for their rights, but armed militia continue to roam the inside the camps and prey outside of them. When family members leave the camps in search of basics such as water, firewood and grass to feed their animals, they are targets for brutal attacks. Men do not leave the camps at this point because they are routinely killed. That leaves women and children, who are more vulnerable, to do the work. Hoping to reduce the chances of being beaten or raped, they go out at night or early in the morning, when the army is sleeping, but many do not make it back safely.
What is Save the Children doing to meet these challenges?
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Save the Children is working with the United Nations and other organizations to help meet the needs of these families by distributing food, shelter materials and other essential items such as blankets, soap and jerry cans for water collection. We are also drilling wells and installing latrines. Child and youth programs were started recently in some camps to provide children with safe and supervised places to play and an opportunity to socialize with other children. During this time of confusion and crisis, it is essential for a child’s development to return to some form of normalcy in their lives as quickly as possible. Structured recreation is one way to help provide this normalcy. Save the Children is providing health services in the camps as well as therapeutic feeding centers to treat severely malnourished children.
When will children and their families be able to return home?
A combination of fear and complete destruction of their homes and villages means that families will remain in the camps for months to come. As a result, families will be unable to plant or harvest this season, exacerbating an already difficult situation with respect to food and nutrition, especially for children.
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