Disaster Risk Reduction and Child Protection Technical Note
1. Background
1.1 Purpose
In response to UNICEF’s recognition of an increase in disaster risk, due in part to rapid urbanisation,
environmental degradation and climate change, UNICEF developed a Programme Guidance Note on
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in March 2011. In support of this, a series of five Technical Notes,
one for each of UNICEF’s five main programme sectors (Health, Nutrition, Education, WASH and
Child Protection), has been developed. These are intended to help practitioners identify how sector
work can contribute to reducing disaster risk.
1.2 Disaster Risk and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
Disaster risk is the potential loss expressed in lives, health status, livelihoods, assets and services,
which could occur in a particular community or a society due to the impact of a natural hazard.1 In
other words, disaster risk is a ‘disaster waiting to happen’, as is the case for the high numbers of
vulnerable people forced to live on flood plains, in drought prone areas or in unplanned urban
settlements.
Disaster risk is commonly understood as a function of hazards, vulnerability, exposure and capacities,
which can be described in the following formula:
Risk = Hazard x Vulnerability x Exposure
Capacity
Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing that
risk. Specifically, the purpose of disaster risk reduction is to minimise vulnerabilities and disaster
risks throughout a society in order to avoid (prevent) or to limit (mitigate and prepare for) the adverse
impacts of natural hazards, and facilitate sustainable development.
In 2005, a global framework for DRR was developed and endorsed by 168 UN member states. The
Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) ‘Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to
Disasters’ highlights five priorities for action for reducing disaster risk: (1) making DRR a priority,
(2) identifying, assessing and monitoring risks, (3) building understanding and awareness, (4)
reducing the underlying risk factors, and (5) strengthening preparedness at all levels.2
This technical note provides practical guidance to adapting UNICEF’s existing programmes to protect
them from disasters, to decrease disaster risks and to build individual and community-level
resilience.3
1
Adapted from ISDR (2009).
See www.unisdr.org/files/1217_HFAbrouchureEnglish.pdf.
3 UNICEF recognises the importance of looking at risk more broadly. To this end, UNICEF is currently advancing its
understanding of resilience. Programme guidance on conflict prevention will also be available later in 2012:
http://intranet.unicef.org/Emops/EMOPSSite.nsf/root/Page0603.
2
1.3 UNICEF and DRR
Child-centred DRR and the Children’s Charter for DRR
Child-centred DRR requires focusing on the specific risks faced by children, as well as involving
children in initiatives to reduce disaster risk. In 2011, UNICEF, Plan International, Save the Children
and World Vision developed a Children’s Charter for DRR (see section 2.4 for link to Charter),
through consultations with 600 children, which outlines five key priorities identified by children.
UNICEF is working at the country, regional and global level to raise awareness of this Charter and to
support progress in terms of the implementation of its five priorities.
Disasters negatively impact children’s and women’s rights, disproportionately affect poor countries
and poor communities, erode development gains and set back progress in achieving the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). Increased school drop-out, high incidence of disease and mortality, and
a worsening of the nutrition status in the affected population are all likely results of a disaster.
Disaster risk is therefore not only the highest among the most vulnerable but exacerbates existing
vulnerabilities and inequalities of girls, boys, women and men.
While poor development or under-development are key drivers of disaster risk, humanitarian action
too can influence disaster risk. UNICEF therefore considers disasters as both a development and a
humanitarian concern. UNICEF has incorporated DRR in its Core Commitments for Children in
Humanitarian Action (CCC) and is taking steps to incorporate DRR throughout its programme
sectors. To facilitate this, UNICEF is increasingly including a multi-hazard risk assessment in the
country office Situation Analyses.4
With its local, sub-national and national presence before, during and after disasters, UNICEF is well
placed to support the capacity development of governments/partners. This not only helps ensure social
services are ‘risk informed’ but can better link community DRR projects with national, provincial and
district level policies and plans.
Whilst these Technical Notes focus on what each programme sector can contribute towards reducing
disaster risk, it is important to recognise that effective risk reduction requires multi-sectoral action.
Moreover, DRR also requires linking effectively with policies and programmes in social protection,
conflict prevention and other risk management approaches that contribute to resilience.
UNICEF has developed four goals for its DRR work (adapted from the Hyogo Framework for Action
priorities) to ensure efforts to reduce disaster risk focus specifically on children:
UNICEF’s DRR goals:
1. DRR for children and women is a national and local priority
2. Different risks faced by girls, boys, adolescents and women are identified and addressed
3. Safer and more resilient conditions for girls, boys and women
4. Strengthened humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery through capacity development
4
Work is underway in Nepal, Pakistan and India to develop national-level child-centred risk assessments; and globally to
strengthen risk assessment guidance in the programme cycle and at the sub-national level.
Criteria and principles for UNICEF’s DRR work
Criteria of ‘good practice’ in DRR:
1. The action aims explicitly at reducing disaster risk, by addressing vulnerabilities and
capacities in the context of natural hazards.
2. The action should be informed by a disaster risk assessment, which considers specific
risks to children, multiple-hazards and climate change.
Principles of ‘good practice’ in DRR:
1. The action targets the population groups most at risk, as identified through the disaster
risk assessment and analysis.
2. The action is multi-sectoral, as effective DRR requires different sectors to work together
to reduce risk to women and children.
3. The action addresses the immediate and underlying causes of disaster risk, and
contributes to bridging the gap between humanitarian action and development planning.
4. The action is child-centred, focusing on the vulnerabilities and capacities of children.
5. The action is participatory, based on local knowledge of risks and input from
communities.
6. The action is coordinated with humanitarian and development partners, as
coordination and collaboration is essential for effective DRR.
7. The action focuses on capacity development of communities, governments and
institutions, to ensure sustainability and scale up of DRR interventions.
2. Child Protection and DRR
2.1 Introduction
Disasters can heighten the vulnerability of children in many ways, by disrupting the protective
mechanisms provided by the state, schools, community and family, and putting additional strain on
family resources. As a result, girls and boys in disaster affected areas may be at increased risk of
neglect, separation, abandonment, abuse, economic exploitation, illegal adoption and multiple forms
of violence. These may stem from inadequate coping mechanisms by families and communities.
Evidence shows, for example, that domestic violence often increases in the aftermath of a disaster.
Unaccompanied girls and boys, child-headed households and women often face particular risks,
including trafficking, forced marriage (including bride sales for girls), child labour, survival sex and
forced prostitution.
The experience of living through disaster, as well as the uncertainties of its aftermath, can also highly
affect the psychosocial well being of children and their caregivers. It is normal for children to have
grief and sadness, following experiences such as the death of friends, the destruction of their homes,
sense of security and changes in normal routines. During such situations, children are usually better
protected by their parents or the person who takes care of them on a regular basis. However, when
disasters do occur, children will have an increased need for reassurance, additional time and attention,
and establishment of regular routine as early as possible. Engagement of children in recovery or
rehabilitation efforts, within their level of capacity, can build their self-esteem and enhance
relationships within the community. A lack of such care and attention can increase children’s sense of
powerlessness and loss, and as a result, they can become more vulnerable to violence, abuse and
exploitation Where natural hazards are known and anticipated by communities, particularly cyclical
floods and storms, families and communities can be better prepared and more capable of managing
such crisis situations.
Strong child protection measures can play an important role in preventing or reducing the possible
consequences of a natural hazard, preventing it from becoming a disaster, and helping to create a safer
and more resilient community for children. Child protection and DRR programming, therefore, needs
to encompass activities aimed at preventing and responding to the specific protection risks for
children in times of disaster. This requires an assessment of potential risks faced by children and
drivers of these risks, as well as an analysis of what preventive measures can be developed to mitigate
them in conjunction with other sectors.
Much of UNICEF’s existing child protection work is already helping to reduce disaster risk; therefore
many of the DRR actions in the table below are not ‘new’ to UNICEF. Instead it is a case of ensuring
existing programmes and work are consistently taking into account disaster risk. The first step is to
ensure that child protection is part of any multi-hazard risk assessments that take place informing the
country situation analysis or at any stage during the UNICEF Country Programme cycle and Early
Warning Early Action (EWEA) system.
2.2 Guidance for Child Protection Interventions
The table below provides some sample key interventions that can be made through the child protection sector to reduce disaster risk; it is not intended to be a
comprehensive guide. All interventions should form part of a coordinated approach to child protection.
Priority
Policy Development and
Advocacy (including to
ensure that disaster risk
reduction is a national and
local priority with a
strong institutional
framework for
implementation)
Prevention5/mitigation6
Work with government and partners to
develop and implement national and local
policies, legislation, systems and services
to reduce children’s risks to being
separated from their families, exposed to
violence, abuse and exploitation and
subject to physical and psychological
harm in disaster-prone areas
Work with government and other partners
to undertake joint advocacy on
displacement and other protection risks to
children due to disasters
Advocate for adherence to the CRC and
its Optional Protocols, the Hague
5
Preparedness7
Work with national partners to ensure
emergency preparedness plans for essential
services, including child protection services,
are in place in all vulnerable areas.
Response8/Early Recovery9
Work with government partners to
develop and implement a policy to
prevent children from being taken out of
the country illegally or contrary to their
best interests.
Ensure that child protection systems and
networks are linked to the national and
regional early warning systems for hazards.
Disseminate information on the relief
and rehabilitation efforts, as well as on
child protection risks. (These materials
Promote family-based care systems as a post- should be pre-prepared for
disaster strategy in compliance with the
dissemination).
CRC, the Hague Conventions and the
Guidelines for the Alternative Care of
Advocate with partners to provide
Children
children and women (particularly childheaded households and single women
separately from unrelated males) with
Prevention: The outright avoidance of adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters. Very often the complete avoidance of losses is not feasible and the task transforms to that of
mitigation. Partly for this reason, the terms prevention and mitigation are sometimes used interchangeably in casual use (source: http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology)
6 Mitigation: The lessening or limitation of the adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters (source: http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology)
7 Preparedness: The knowledge and capacities developed by governments, professional response and recovery organizations, communities and individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to,
and recover from, the impacts of likely, imminent or current hazard events or conditions (source: http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology)
8 Response: The provision of emergency services and public assistance during or immediately after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety and meet the
basic subsistence needs of the people affected. Disaster response is predominantly focused on immediate and short-term needs and is sometimes called “disaster relief”. The division between
this response stage and the subsequent recovery stage is not clear-cut. Some response actions, such as the supply of temporary housing and water supplies, may extend well into the recovery
stage (source: http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology)
9 Recovery: The restoration, and improvement where appropriate, of facilities, livelihoods and living conditions of disaster-affected communities, including efforts to reduce disaster risk
factors. The recovery task of rehabilitation and reconstruction begins soon after the emergency phase has ended, and should be based on pre-existing strategies and policies that facilitate clear
institutional responsibilities for recovery action and enable public participation. Recovery programmes, coupled with the heightened public awareness and engagement after a disaster, afford a
valuable opportunity to develop and implement disaster risk reduction measures and to apply the “build back better” principle (source: http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology).
Conventions and the Guidelines for the
Alternative Care of Children, among other
relevant international instruments for
children’s protection.
Coordination (including
collaborating with and
coordinating with interagency partners,
academic institutions,
women’s groups, service
providers etc.)
Assessment and
Monitoring (including
identifying, assessing and
monitoring disaster risks
and enhancing early
warning, existing
capacities etc.)
prioritised access to humanitarian
assistance and to temporary and
permanent housing preferably in
locations close to extended family,
support services
Ensure and promote sharing of
information with other UNICEF
programme sectors and partners
(including the cluster system).
Develop an Inter-Agency Child Protection
Preparedness Plan based on identified risks
and building on identified capacities.
Establish an awareness of the type and extent
of data currently collated and build on such
existing systems
Using data from disaster risk assessments,
identify areas and groups of most
vulnerable children for targeting of
proactive activities, such as focused
efforts on system building.
Develop proactive inter-agency child
protection monitoring system for use in
emergencies.
Ensure data on disaster risk assessments
and mappings of protection risks are
overlaid to identify and target the most
vulnerable children.
Support proactive inter-agency
monitoring of child protection risks
(family separation; abuse; gender-based
violence; trafficking; child marriage;
abduction; child labour; exploitation;
recruitment and use) in relation to hazard
10
Monitoring and Analysis Reporting Arrangements (MARA), based on Security Council Resolution 1960
Support efforts to adhere to the
Guidelines for the Alternative Care of
Children
Mainstream child protection into other
sectors’ response work to increase the
scale of protection measures and reduce
potential protection risks associated with
other sectoral interventions
Establish a coordinated inter-agency
mechanism to undertake monitoring and
situation analysis on priority protection
risks and concerns to children.
If in a situation where there is both a
natural disaster and an armed conflict,
ensure that the monitoring system also
includes grave violations against children
and women, such as the MRM and
MARA10.
Ensure mechanisms to refer individual
cases for necessary support services.
risks, to support a sound knowledge base
and situation analysis on risks to children,
and enable the development of national
child protection systems.
Capacity development
and service provision
(including disaster
preparedness for effective
response at all levels,
human resources and
capacity development;
internal UNICEF HQ
capacity as well as
partners)
Ensure capacity development is targeted
so that emphasis is on building systems in
the areas that have been identified as most
vulnerable, and ensure that these systems
are ready to continue to function in
emergency situations.
Ensure social welfare systems are in place
that can identify and support children at
risk (including identification, tracing and
family reunification) and children who
have already been abused, and can remain
active in an emergency.
Provide cash transfers (social protection)
for vulnerable children in high-risk areas
to strengthen family-based care.
Support universal birth registration, in the
framework of the country’s civil registry,
including through use of modern
technology.
Support establishment of formal Best
Interests Determination processes by
authorities for unaccompanied and
separated children and other children at
risk.
Train staff and partners about child
protection in an emergency, including the
Establish information management systems
such as the ‘inter-agency child protection
information monitoring system’ to facilitate
case management, with appropriate CP
referral services in place
Develop a complete geographic mapping
(including GPS locations) of alternative care
facilities for children, in the most vulnerable
disaster-prone areas, and identify service
locations, such as social and psychosocial
services.
Promote measures to safeguard birth/civil
registration data and other ID documents,
e.g. systematically integrating local
registration in a central database.
Establish permanent ‘Safe Spaces’ for
children and women in disaster-prone areas
as part of the community based child
protection system.
Train national child protection systems on
their respective roles in the emergency
response and ensure coordination
mechanisms can be rapidly activated.
Identify and register
unaccompanied/separated children
through the use of common registration
forms, and the identification of one
agency to house the database that will be
used for identification, documentation,
tracing, reunification and case
management.
Establish provision of cash transfers for
vulnerable families.
Ensure access to birth registration
facilities in disaster-affected areas, e.g.
mobile birth registration services and
birth registration at clinics, and provide
timely channels for replacing lost or
destroyed birth certificates and other
identity documentation.
recommendations of the Guidelines for
the Alternative Care of Children.
Train key staff in NGOs and government
partners on psychosocial first aid.
Awareness and
Community
Mobilization (including
strengthening capacity of
communities,
strengthening the
awareness and skills of
key community members
on DRR, protection, etc.)
Promote community awareness of the
links between child protection issues and
natural hazards and train communities and
local partners on DRR.
Strengthen social networks within the
community to enhance the capacity of
communities and families to care for their
children by identifying, encouraging and
enhancing already existing positive
traditions and coping mechanisms.
Support community initiatives and
outreach work (surveillance mechanisms).
Increase communities’, families’ and
children’s awareness about gender-based
violence and other child protection risks
and the importance of accessing health
(including HIV) and psychosocial
support.
Distribute child-friendly teaching tools,
such as the Riskland game.
Establish permanent ‘Safe Spaces’ in
disaster-prone areas as part of the community
based child protection system.
Teach life skills (e.g. swimming) and
resistance to inappropriate approaches etc.
Promote measures to, and raise community
awareness on, safeguarding identity
documents.
Prepare communities, residential care
centres, remand centres, children’s clubs etc.
to react to emergencies, for example by
appointing emergency focal points and
organising simulation exercises.
Pre-position key messages on child
protection.
Create safe (resilient) spaces for children
and women, including lactating mothers.
Support community and schools to
provide structured activities for children,
including promoting play, art sporting
and education activities that promote a
routine and help children express their
experiences and feelings.
Engage adolescent girls and boys as
actors in providing support to their
communities (e.g. as facilitators in safe
spaces).
Organise group discussions on how the
community may help at-risk people and
support community-based child
protection mechanisms (e.g. child
protection committees).
Make camps and evacuation centres
safer through floodlighting and night
patrols.
2.3 Example of UNICEF’s Child Protection and DRR work
In Bangladesh, UNICEF is working with government and NGO partners to establish permanent Child
Friendly Spaces (CFS) as part of the child protection system in cyclone and flood-prone areas. After
Cyclone Aila struck in May 2009, UNICEF and partners opened 140 CFS in the most affected areas.
These CFS are used as service hubs, for community outreach and support as well as the provision of
essential services, such as health and education. The CFS are also used to help build community
resilience to disasters, for example by organising swimming lessons. In the aftermath of disasters, the
CFS are used to provide a safe recreational and education place, and for the registration and follow up
of separated and orphaned children. The idea of establishing permanent CFS in the areas most
vulnerable to disasters is to ensure that a safe place is already available and operational in the event of
a hazard striking, as well as to provide a venue for the community to engage in DRR life skills
activities.
In Iran, UNICEF provided technical support to the Ministry of Welfare to develop the national
‘Standards for Care and Protection of Children in Emergencies’ in 2010. The Standards include
several key items relating to DRR, including assessment and monitoring mechanisms, coordination
mechanisms, capacity development and child protection systems. Children who had experienced the
Bam earthquake were consulted in the development of the Standards. The Standards will become
operational under the overall framework for cooperation established jointly between the UN Disaster
Management Team and the National Disaster Management Organization (NDMO). Under this
framework, the clusters will work closely with the NDMO Working Groups. (The Standards will soon
be available in English).
In Haiti, the community-based child protection programme developed a whole component on DRR.
One of the most popular activities was "Te Male" (Riskland), a game that teaches children how to
reduce the risk of natural disasters, which was distributed through child-friendly schools across the
country. UNICEF also supported the Scouts’ Association to equip "emergency response units" in 16
departments. UNICEF linked these emergency units with other local partners and with the
government's civil protection department. In collaboration with the IFRC, UNICEF also trained
selected partners in psychosocial first aid. To ensure quick communication, UNICEF and its partners
established a chain of communication with partners in the field that allowed them to share emergency
messages with partners, as well as to conduct rapid needs assessments.
2.4 Resources
For further information, please contact:
Pernille Ironside, Senior Advisor a.i., Child Protection in Emergencies – pironside@unicef.org
Antony Spalton, DRR Specialist - aspalton@unicef.org
General DRR reading
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UNICEF, Programme Guidance Note on DRR:
http://intranet.unicef.org/emops/emopssite.nsf/root/Page050206
UNICEF DRR brochure:
http://intranet.unicef.org/CoP/EMOPSDRR/Blog.nsf/dx/DRR_final.pdf/$file/DRR_final.pdf
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UNICEF’s Community of Practice on DRR:
http://intranet.unicef.org/CoP/EMOPSDRR/CommunityContent.nsf
Children’s Charter for DRR:
http://www.childreninachangingclimate.org/database/CCC/Publications/children_charter.pdf
Hyogo Framework for Action, 2005 – 2015
http://www.unisdr.org/files/1217_HFAbrochureEnglish.pdf
UNDG Guidance Note on Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction into the CCA and UNDAF
2009: http://www.undg.org/docs/9866/UNDG-DRR-Guidance-Note-2009_DUP_08-072009_11-43-02-734_AM.PDF
Children in a Changing Climate, Children and Disaster Risk Reduction: Taking Stock and
Moving Forward: http://www.unisdr.org/files/12085_ChildLedDRRTakingStock1.pdf
Children in a Changing Climate, Children and Disasters: Understanding Impact and
Enabling Agency:
http://www.childreninachangingclimate.org/database/CCC/Publications/IMPACTS%20and%
20AGENCY_FINAL.pdf.
Plan International, Child-Centred Disaster Risk Reduction – Building Resilience Through
Participation: http://www.plan-uk.org/resources/documents/33987/
Save the Children, Reducing Risks, Saving Lives – Our Approach to Disaster Risk Reduction:
http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/resources/online-library/reducing-risks-saving-lives-ourapproach-to-disaster-risk-reduction.
UNICEF and Plan International, The benefits of a child-centred approach to climate change
adaptation:
http://www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Publications/ClimateChange_child_centred2011.pdf.
UNICEF, Children’s Vulnerability to Climate Change and Disaster Impacts in East Asia and
the Pacific:
http://www.unicef.org/media/files/Climate_Change_Regional_Report_14_Nov_final.pdf.