2015 Child protection assessment
Child Protection Sub Cluster in Turkey
Highlights
The situation in Syria has significantly deteriorated in 2015 and it is estimated that upwards of 250,000 people have been killed since the conflict began. An estimated 13.5 million people are now in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, including 4.49 million in hard to reach areas and some 360,000 in besieged areas. A significant proportion of those in need are children now estimated at 6 million (2016 Humanitarian Needs Overview). Life for children in Syria is unpredictable and extremely dangerous with indiscriminate attacks on densely populated areas becoming, more and more, a defining feature of this conflict with basic infrastructure such as schools, playgrounds, hospitals markets being attacked. In this context children are increasingly exposed to a growing number of grave violations and protection concerns such as killing and maiming, recruitment and use by armed groups, child labor, child marriage, domestic violence, family separation, explosive threats, and lack of birth registration. Daily exposure to violence, displacement and lack or inadequate access to basic services and commodities continue to expose children to high levels of psychosocial distress of which the consequences are likely to be long term.
In order to better understand the main child protection concerns and issues affecting children in Syria, the Child Protection Sub Cluster in Turkey agreed on the need to implement an assessment to inform responses, planning, advocacy and resource mobilization. An interagency steering committee was formed to oversee the design and implementation of the assessment. A number of agencies contributed to the realization of this report, including through expertise and staff contributions for data collection, analysis, interpretation and the review of reports.
This report, issued by the Child Protection Sub-cluster in Turkey, presents the main findings of a series of Child Protection data collection initiatives undertaken in the second half of 2015. Graphs within the report present primary information gathered through Key Informants Interviews (KII) and Focus Group Discussions (FDGs) in selected affected communities. Qualitative information presented in the report is a synthesis of findings from two phases of data collection. Quotes are from FGDs implemented as part of the 2015 Whole of Syria Assessment and have been included in order to give a voice to children and their caregivers on the protection issues they face in their daily lives inside Syria.
