2022 Humanitarian Response Plan for Gaza and West Bank
Operational issues related to safety, security, and movement of frontline
workers constrain opportunities to provide life-saving services, including
protection and MHPSS services. And insufficient service providers to cover
the child protection and MHPSS needs, linked to the lack of clear referral
mechanisms to the health sector.
Risk 4.2: Partner responses and capacities
In response to the escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip in May 2021, the
Governorate Protection Focal Points supported by UNICEF and Save the
Children and in coordination with the Child Protection Area of Responsibility
(CP AOR), Protection Cluster and Ministry of Social Development (MOSD),
conducted home and assessment visits to affected families, providing
Psychological First Aid (PFA) services, identify the CP and MHPSS needs of
children and refer to required service providers.
Child Protection AoR partners provided vulnerable children and their
families affected by May 2021 escalation and the ongoing protracted crisis
in the Gaza Strip with phone counselling, psychosocial support activities,
child/parent interaction activities, life skills activities and inclusive multi-
sectoral responses of child protection services, including specialized
individual child protection case management.
To strengthen families' capacity to prevent violence at home, caregivers,
attended positive parenting and awareness raising sessions. Moreover,
partners reached children and caregivers with risk-educational sessions on
Explosive Remnants of War (ERW).
Risk 4.3: Humanitarian needs and gaps
In case of any emerging emergency, scale-up of in-person and
remote Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services
for children, families and frontline service providers
Increase structured psychosocial support and specialized mental
health services for children and caregivers with a focus on the
family centered approach. More children in Gaza are being referred
to CP AoR partners, as they display symptoms of distress
Integrate MHPSS services in the Health and Education Systems
(PHCs, clinics, and schools)
Increase child protection services, including specialized individual
case management, for vulnerable children impacted by conflict
related and domestic violence, including children with disabilities,
ensuring linkages to the National Social Protection System led by
MoSD
Increase and develop community level protection programmes and
initiatives aimed at detecting and protecting children at risk of
conflict-related violence and violence at home, in collaboration
with the existed Local Community Committees supported by CP
AoR partners within identified vulnerable areas across the Gaza
Strip, such as Community Committees among UNICEF supported
Family Centers and Save the Children supported Resilience Centers
Documenting child rights violations
Increase Youth-led Protection initiatives and other programmes
aimed at supporting vulnerable children and adolescents and
reducing negative coping mechanisms, especially for those children
affected by conflict and domestic violence
Establish sustainable child friendly spaces and playgrounds, as well
as non-structured psychosocial support and recreational activities
for children, particularly during summer holidays
Coordinate development and review of guidelines and tools on
child protection case management with Ministry of Social
Development in alignment with the National Case Management
and Referral System
➤ Strengthen the coordination and collaboration in the contingency
planning/preparedness and response during and after any
emergency to provide complementarity, inter-sectoral and
comprehensive interventions among all Child Protection, MHPSS
service providers, UN Agencies/Clusters, and line ministries
20View entire presentation