UNICEF and ACWF Launch Child Protection Campaign in Sichuan Quake Zone

Beijing, 28 November, 2008 – UNICEF and All-China Women's Federation launched a child-protection campaign in Sichuan's earthquake affected areas on November 22 to raise the awareness of anti-violence and trafficking.

"We can never afford to let our children suffer from the lack of our protection for it's our duty of care as responsible adults." David McLoughlin, UNICEF China Deputy Representative said in the launching ceremony in Chengdu. "Together we ensure that each of our children not only survive under our protection but thrive in their coming life."

Implemented by the Sichuan Working Committee on Children and Women (SWCCW) Office, "Child Protection Project in Areas Affected by the Earthquake in Sichuan" will provide training to policemen, establish pilot child protection police posts, register and track the movement of children living in resettlement, distribute communication materials in communities and schools, provide skills training for students to prevent them from school yard violence, sex abuse and trafficking, establish "Home for Left-Behind Children" in relocation areas and offer anti-trafficking and vocational training for elder girls.

Ms. Tang Chuanfeng, vice governor of Jiangyou City, who had been working in the front of relief work since the disaster admitted that it was hard to document and register the movement and situation of children in relocation camps and UNICEF's intervention was much-needed.

"It's the first time we deal with the issue of how to address the needs of children in resettlement after the disaster, especially the left-behind and migrating children. We are still yet to figure out an effective way of protecting them from abuse and violence."

Before the earthquake, Sichuan, one of the country's most populous and poorest places, is also one of the provinces with the most women and children trafficking incidents.

Since the disaster of May, experts have expressed the concern that children in affected areas were facing increasing risks with the drastic changes in their families, schools and hometowns. A few people intent on exploiting children could potentially pose serious threats to the safety of children.

In the reconstruction period, the parents are busy remaking their lives and thus unable to pay as much attention to their children. Some parents have left home or are going to leave home to work in the cities to make money to rebuild their houses. Left to the care of grandparents or other relatives, a number of children are subject to increased risks due to insufficient care and supervision. Without adequate awareness and self-protection skills, some elder children who leave home to find jobs in the cities are prone to trafficking and exploitation.

As part of UNICEF's child protection package, the anti-trafficking and violence campaign will be developed in schools, communities and relocation camps that are covered by 40 Child Friendly Spaces UNICEF has set up in 21 hard-hit counties in the province. This is to ensure that children are not only protected from external harms but also recover from their psychological trauma. The Child Friendly Spaces project has been implemented by the National Working Committee on Children and Women.

After the initial rush to provide support through various interventions, many psychologist volunteers have withdrawn from the quake zones. UNICEF was one of the few organizations who stayed with children to provide long-term psychosocial support. Based in prefabricated communities, each of the Spaces consists of activity rooms, a psychosocial consultancy room, and a library. Children can play with peers to resume a sense of normalcy and receive psychological support if needed.