Child protection

EU Health programme With funding from the European Union (EU) ‘RM Child-Health Initiative’, UNICEF and its partners have been supporting life-saving health care for refugee and migrant children and their families in Bulgaria. As the initiative draws to a close, we look back at some highlights since its launch in 2020.   , 2020: Healing old wounds, The ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative has helped UNICEF and the Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria (CRWB) connect refugee families to health care. In 2020, that continuous support, even in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, had been vital for one refugee woman and her daughter. Zahra [1] and her family had arrived in Bulgaria after a perilous…, 2021: Social workers on the vaccination frontline, Yura, a social worker, had joined the CRWB a year earlier and was loving her work. “Guiding through people from refugee and migrant backgrounds on health-related procedures in their host country is a way to empower them to find solutions to health issues,” she explained. And this was particularly vital for those fleeing from armed conflicts and…, 2022: Milestones, An assessment of the impact of the ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative notes major ‘milestone moments’ since its launch in Bulgaria. These include the following. A Memorandum of Understanding and an Action Plan with the Ministry of Interior to address the needs of unaccompanied and separated children (UASCs) and to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry…, Taking stock of the ‘RM Child-Health’ Initiative in Bulgaria, 518 refugee and migrant children participated in UNICEF-supported gender-based violence (GBV) prevention activities and referral to national authorities’ GBV response services, more than twice as many as – more than twice as many as originally targeted for the Initiative. 1419 refugee and migrant children accessed health checks and referrals to…

EU Health programme With funding from the European Union (EU) ‘RM Child-Health Initiative’, UNICEF and its partners have been supporting the health and wellbeing of refugee and migrant children in Greece, with a focus on those who are the most vulnerable. As the initiative draws to a close, we look back at some highlights since its launch in 2020…, 2020: Safeguarding health in a crisis, For refugees and migrants on the Greek island of Lesvos, 2020 was catastrophic. The COVID-19 pandemic had curtailed their already limited movements still further, and the destruction of the once notorious Moria camp triggered a humanitarian crisis. Support from the ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative helped UNICEF and its partners react at speed to these…, 2021: Two mothers, two children and two safe spaces, Mothers with their children, and children who are travelling alone, were among the hundreds of asylum seekers gathering each day at the Greek Asylum Service Offices in Athens and Thessaloniki. Responding to their needs, UNICEF’s partner METAdrasi had created Mother and Child Spaces next to the Offices. Every month in 2021, more than 400 mothers…, 2022: “We have friends here!”, Like Leyla a year earlier, Yezda, a young mother from Iraqi Kurdistan, her husband and their seven children were visiting the Mother and Child Space in Thessaloniki for their last time as they waited to collect their passports and ID cards. They fled Kurdistan to protect their family from conflict and Yezda showed us the wounds she has on her legs…, Taking stock of the ‘RM Child-Health’ Initiative in Greece, Over 3000 children and 2300 mothers benefited from access to services, including psychosocial support, GBV prevention and support and mother and childcare services – almost three times as many as originally targeted for the Initiative. 3600 refugee and migrant children and parents received UNICEF-supported information on GBV prevention and…

EU Health programme With funding from the European Union (EU) ‘RM Child-Health Initiative’, UNICEF and its partners have been supporting the health and wellbeing of refugee and migrant children in Italy, even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s strict lockdowns. As the initiative draws to a close, we look back at some…, 2020: Support for frontline health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and the resulting restrictions, health teams reached out to vulnerable refugee and migrant children and families who have limited access to services, with co-funding from the ‘RM Child-Health Initiative’. In 2020, Italy was one of the countries hit hardest by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Even…, 2021: The community that defended itself against COVID-19, In 2021 we met Josy, a refugee living in an overcrowded building in an informal settlement on the edge of Rome. Around 500 people from all over the world were living there, with families sharing bathrooms. Not surprisingly, they had reacted to the arrival of the COVID-19 with real trepidation. In a cramped place like this, the impact of COVID-19…, 2022: Periods do not stop for girls on the move, Menstruation is an entirely natural process, yet it often remains a cultural taboo. The problems faced by women and adolescent girls during their periods are compounded when they are on the move. Periods do not stop for refugees and migrants, and finding information, services and menstrual products can be a real challenge. Responding appropriately…, Taking stock of the ‘RM Child-Health’ Initiative in Italy, 725 refugee and migrant children participated in UNICEF-supported psychosocial support sessions and referrals to specialized mental health services – almost 3 times more than the number originally targeted for the Initiative. 450 refugee and migrant children participated in UNICEF-supported gender-based violence (GBV) prevention activities and…

EU Health programme With funding from the European Union (EU) ‘RM Child-Health Initiative’, UNICEF and its partners have supported the health and wellbeing of refugee and migrant children and their families in Serbia. As the initiative draws to a close, we look back at some highlights since its launch in 2020.   , 2020: A Mother and baby corner - a place of health and serenity, We met Sharife, [1] a mother of four, at the Mother and Baby Corner (MBC) in Belgrade, run by the humanitarian organization ADRA [2] , with support from UNICEF through the ‘RM Child-Health’ Initiative. Her youngest son, Shahir Milos, was 18 months old and was born with congenital heart disease. Here at the MBC, she could spend time in a safe space…, 2021: Reflections on the risks of alcohol and substance abuse among young refugees and migrants in Serbia, In 2021, Jelena Vasic, MD, trainee in child psychiatry at the Institute of Mental Health (Clinic for Children and Youth) in Belgrade, shared her personal impressions of cutting-edge research on substance abuse among children and youth from refugee and migrant communities. The co-funded ‘RM Child-Health’ Initiative was supporting work by UNICEF…, 2022: Building trust and a new generation of frontline workers, “Just today we talked about how to cope with stress. We also learn how to recognize violence. Now we know that it's not always physical and visible, that it can also be psychological.”  Mahdieh, [i] aged 35, from Iraqi Kurdistan, at the Reception Centre in Vranje, Serbia  , Building trust, With support from the ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative, UNICEF’s partner Info Park organizes workshops at its safe space for women and girls at the Reception Centre in Vranje, Serbia. Milica and Aleksandra from Info Park provide support and referrals for their physical health but psychosocial support is often the priority. “They’re often withdrawn,…, Building a new generation of frontline workers, As well as enhancing the skills of today’s frontline workers, like Milica, the ‘RM Child-Health’ Initiative is looking ahead to support the training of those who will work with refugee and migrant children in the future. Students are now enrolling in the Protection of Children Affected by Migration course at the Faculty of Political Sciences in…, Taking stock of the ‘RM Child-Health’ Initiative in Serbia, 2036 refugee and migrant children were reached with community-based psychosocial support activities – more than 4 times the number originally targeted for the Initiative. 828 refugee and migrant children were reached with gender-based violence (GBV) prevention activities and response services – more than 1.5 times the number originally targeted.…

“Our biggest wish is for Rikardo to be healthy and to start walking soon”, said Igor and Martina, the parents of this happy 20-month-old boy. For the past few months, the outreach expert team from Médecins du Monde, gathered as part of the EU Child Guarantee pilot programme, funded by European Union, has been visiting them regularly in their home…

EU Health programme The ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative has funded work across five European countries since 2020 to keep refugee and migrant children connected to health services during the COVID-19 pandemic, with partners doing whatever it takes to meet their health needs, even during strict lockdowns. “Achieving our objectives was possible only…, What worked, The initiative was agile in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, changing the way it delivered its activities; adapting the services on offer to meet new needs; adapting training; ensuring greater targeting of vulnerable groups; and overcoming every logistical challenge. Despite the severe challenges, including the acute overstretching of the…, Adapting the delivery of services, In Bosnia and Herzegovina, partners held more frequent meetings with fewer participants to maintain social distancing. In several countries, UNICEF’s partners used mobile teams to reach refugees and migrants to maintain service provision. In Bulgaria, Mission Wings and Caritas used mobile teams to reach people. [3] Similarly, in Italy a mobile…, Adapting services to meet new needs, In Bosnia and Herzegovina, nutrition information and psychosocial support were added to activities in response to requests from refugees and migrants. [7] In Bulgaria, UNICEF’s partner, the Council of Refugee Women (CRWB) established a Vulnerability Fund to provide direct support to those in need, including cash to cover health services not…, Adapting training, In Bosnia and Herzegovina, information and training material was modified to reflect the COVID-19 pandemic. [16] In Bulgaria, specific COVID-19 related health information was also provided online, via the CRWB Facebook page. [17] In Italy and Serbia, training material was adapted for delivery through distance learning. In Bulgaria and Serbia,…, Greater targeting of vulnerable groups, Realizing the greater difficulties faced by vulnerable or at-risk  refugees and migrants in accessing services as a result of lockdowns, UNICEF’s partners in Italy continued to deliver remote and in-person health screenings and online psychological support and case management to the most vulnerable migrants and refugees. [19] , [20] With co-…, Overcoming logistical challenges, In Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNICEF obtained official approval for health workers to work in other cantons and organized the transport to get them there to fill the gaps left by those who were infected with COVID-19. [22] Containers that were being used as Mother and Baby Corners were transformed into isolation rooms for COVID-19 patients. [23]…, The pandemic as an opportunity, Teams used the delivery of COVID-19 related information as an entry point to link children and their families to other services. [27] Shifting training and awareness-raising to online delivery made it possible to reach far more people than originally planned and sometimes helped participants see problems from a different perspective. The impact…

EU Health programme The ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative has supported work across five European countries since 2020 to enhance the knowledge, skills and resources of those who work directly with refugee and migrant children and adolescents. As the programme comes to an end, an independent evaluation has confirmed that the Initiative has helped to…, The impact, An independent evaluation of the Initiative has captured its impact on health policy implementation by frontline workers. The training of government officials and the staff of implementing partners has, for example, generated noticeable behaviour change in health service providers and the way in which they deliver services. [1] Importantly, it has…, Looking ahead, As well as enhancing the skills and knowledge of today’s frontline workers, the Initiative has looked ahead to support the training of those who will work with refugee and migrant children in the future. In Serbia, for example, students are now enrolling in the Protection of Children Affected by Migration course at the Faculty of Political…

EU Health programme The ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative has supported work across five European countries to increase health literacy among refugee and migrant children and their parents. As the Initiative, launched in 2020, comes to an end, an independent evaluation has confirmed its positive impact, with refugee and migrant children families…, A two-pronged approach, The success of the Initiative lies in its two-pronged approach. First, UNICEF and its partners in the five countries consulted young refugees, migrants and their caregivers on their priority health issues, as well as the gaps in health information and in their own knowledge. At every stage, their views, plus the views of UNICEF’s implementing…, Country highlights, Bosnia and Herzegovina Distribution of more than 7000 brochures in six languages on important topics related to public health measures. [1] Target for number of refugee and migrant children and parents receiving UNICEF-supported information on health risks, entitlements and services available related to immunization: 2200. Number reached: 3484.  …, The impact, Stakeholders report a range of impacts, including greater awareness of child nutrition and the importance of breastfeeding (in one camp in Greece, requests for baby formula milk ceased completely). More refugee and migrant children are now fully immunized (before the Initiative, some parents were reluctant to immunize their children). More women…

EU Health programme The ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative has supported work across five European countries to strengthen the capacity of national health systems to meet the health needs of refugee and migrant children. As the programme draws to a close, we review its impact on that capacity, recognizing that a health system that works for vulnerable…, Targets exceeded in all five countries, Number of refugee and migrant children who access, with UNICEF support, health checks and referrals to public healthcare services, including to immunization. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Target = 1200. Reached = 3484. Bulgaria: Target = 500. Reached = 1419. Number of refugee and migrant children who participate in UNICEF-supported psychosocial support…, Building trust, One major challenge tackled by the Initiative has been a lack of trust in health services on the part of refugees and migrants. According to research by UNICEF in Bulgaria, this lack of trust had also been compounded by negative attitudes from health providers, cumbersome and bureaucratic systems, unavoidable financial costs (for services that…, Mental health and psychosocial support, The evaluation finds that the initiative has gone much further than expected in some areas, introducing services that had never been offered to refugee and migrant children before. One particular achievement has been the delivery of much-needed MHPSS services to refugee and migrant children in all five countries. In Bosnia and Herzegovina this was…, Support for paediatric services, In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the ‘RM Child Health’ Initiative set out to guarantee access to a comprehensive range of paediatric services for all refugee and migrant children, including the provision of dental and ophthalmological services. For some children, such as 10-year old Maisa [2] , originally from Iran, the change has been truly…, Gender-based violence, The Initiative has supported the delivery of GBV prevention and referral services to women and girls across all five countries. In Greece, for example, this has included the mapping of GBV service providers and referral mechanisms to state-run shelters and counselling centres. The work of UNICEF’s implementing partner, Melissa, has been notable…, Prevention and networking, A strong health system is a preventive health system, and the Initiative has supported a range of prevention activities since it was launched. In Serbia, for example, UNICEF has been able to build capacity not only to respond to substance abuse among refugee and migrant children and adolescents, but also to create a more proactive, preventive…

The war in Ukraine has displaced families at a scale and speed not seen since World War II. There have been almost 9 million border crossings from Ukraine into Poland since the conflict escalated on 24 February 2022. Of the 4 million refugees who have registered for temporary protection across Europe, almost 1.6 million are in Poland – but the…, Our programmes in Poland, UN0715479 Education, The situation   The chance to learn and be in a safe space together with peers and teachers doesn’t just deliver education, it brings a crucial sense of stability, normalcy, and hope to war-affected children and young people. Our priority is to reach every child who arrives in Poland fleeing conflict to ensure they can socialize, develop and learn…, UN0694852 Child protection, The situation   Children who have been forced to flee to Poland need urgent protection from potential harm during their journey and when they settle in a new home. One of the primary focuses of UNICEF is to ensure children who’ve fled the war in Ukraine are protected from all forms of violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect. We work with…, City of Sopot_PROFIJUNIOR Ukraina Health, It’s vital those who’ve fled this brutal war have access to health care. Around 90% of the over 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees registered by the Polish government are women and children. This is a mother-and-child displacement crisis that has put much extra pressure on Poland’s public healthcare system. Low immunization rates in Ukraine mean that…, UNI448215 Mental health and psychosocial support, Situation Children fleeing Ukraine are all suffering from the invisible wounds of war and need early and consistent intervention to improve their well-being, prevent serious mental health issues in the future and start over their lives in Poland. The psychological toll of conflicts is vast – rates of common mental health conditions such as anxiety…, UNI401462 Youth and adolescent development and participation, The situation  Young people make up a large proportion of those who've fled the war in Ukraine to Poland. Their situation is critical. Adolescence is already a challenging time and a major life disruption and heavy stress during this period can have impacts that last into adulthood.  Vulnerable youth need to continue their education and build…, UN0855283 Social and behaviour change, The situation   It can be hard to enroll in school when you do not know how long your family will be in the country or book vaccinations when your immunization records have been left behind. It is hard to know what you are entitled to or what your rights are as a refugee if they are not explained to you in a way you understand. Refugees can…, UN0766170 Humanitarian response, Situation The war in Ukraine has left families in shock, desperate for safety, and in need of essential supplies. UNICEF is on the ground providing support and supplies for families in need. Decisive and timely humanitarian action in Poland protects families and children. Many children and families arriving in recent months have more complex needs…, Latest updates from Poland, Media Centre, UN0649084, Media Contact, Monika Kacprzak | mkacprzak@unicef.org  | Communication Specialist | UNICEF Refugee Response in Poland Multimedia assets from Poland UNICEF National Committee in Poland Website | Facebook | Twitter, Country Coordinator biography, Nona Zicherman Country Coordinator Prior to her arrival in Poland as UNICEF Country Coordinator in April 2024, Nona Zicherman was serving in Kosovo as the UNICEF Head of Office since mid-2021. She also worked in Türkiye from 2015-2021, first as Emergency Coordinator and then as Deputy Representative. Previously, Ms. Zicherman was UNICEF’s Chief of…

Geneva, 21 September 2022 - Since the escalation of the war in Ukraine, some 234,000 refugees from Ukraine were able to use protection and support services provided by 36 Blue Dot Hubs established by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund, across seven countries. The “Blue Dot Hubs” are one-stop safe spaces equipped to…

The Ukrainian crisis has generated an unprecedented and large-scale refugee movement leading to  millions, primarily women and children, seeking safety in neighbouring and surrounding countries. While undertaking their journeys or upon reaching a destination, children seeking refuge can be exposed to numerous risks, including increased…