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The Government has developed guidelines to address the needs of minors in emergencies.
Labour Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore yesterday said the guidelines provide a framework for coordination at the national and county levels, collaboration with other structures and inclusion of children in humanitarian actions.
She stated that the guidelines are the first domesticated reference material on child protection in emergencies, filling a crucial gap that existed before they were developed.
“I urge all of us to popularise the guidelines by adopting them in our humanitarian work, collaborating and coordinating with other sectors, and providing sensitisation and training on the guidelines. This will ensure the inclusion of children in our country’s humanitarian response agenda, in the best interest of the child,” the CS said.
Children services
Her remarks were read on her behalf by the Children Services Secretary, Shem Nyakutu who launched the guidelines for child protection in emergencies.
She said Kenya has experienced several emergencies and disasters like 2007/2008 post-election violence, building collapses, floods, and droughts and children are adversely affected during these times, experiencing death, child labour, orphan-hood, family separation, displacement, and emotional distress, among other hardships.
Bore also said that Covid-19 pandemic had a severe impact on the world, including Kenya.
She said it had an effect on children’s mental health, psychological well-being, and the prioritization of child protection needs in health crises highlighted the importance of strong coordination and advocacy for child protection in emergencies.
As Kenya was recovering from the pandemic, she regretted that Kenya was hit by one of the worst droughts in forty years.
“More than 16 million children across the country are living with the dual impacts of poverty and the climate emergency, according to research conducted by Save the Children in 2022,” she said.