Over 1,000,000 South Sudanese refugees now in Uganda
Today, on the occasion of the Global Disability Summit, the UK Government became the first major donor of its kind to explicitly pledge support for family and community-based care for all children.
Championing families and not orphanages, Secretary of State for International Development, Penny Mordaunt, announced: “Orphanages are harmful to children and it is often those with disabilities who are placed in them the most. This needs to end, which is why I’m committed to the long-term plan to ensure all children grow up with a family of their own.”
An NGO alliance including Hope and Homes, Lumos, Save the Children and World Vision - have joined forces to echo the UK Government’s commitment and support global change for children trapped in orphanages, especially those with disabilities who are the furthest left behind. The launch ofthe new ‘Civil Society Compact [CSO Compact]’ sets out a pathway for change to help eliminate orphanages worldwide.
“Recognising that institutionalisation harms children – and that children with disabilities are overrepresented in institutions –we commit to work together toward eliminating the institutionalisation of children globally. Ensuring our organisations do not contribute towards the institutionalisation of children, directly or indirectly - and in line with international treaties and best practice, we share the UK Government’s pledge to enable all children to have the opportunity to realise their right to family care.”
World Vision is a proud signatory to the CSO Compact, which is set out in full below.
Now is the time for other governments, funders, companies and individuals to follow suit and invest in alternatives to orphanages so all children can thrive in families.
CSO COMPACT
Recognising that institutionalisation harms children’s physical, emotional, psychological and psychosocial development, the undersigned organisations pledge to work toward the end of institutionalization of children and for the promotion of family-based care.
The occasion of the first Global Disability Summit makes this a particularly appropriate moment for this commitment, since children with disabilities are often the first to enter an institution and the last to leave.
In-line with international treaties and best practice, including the UN Guidelines on the Alternative Care of Children, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, we share the UK Government’s pledge to enable all children to have the opportunity to realise their right to family care and, in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development, commit to leave no child behind in this effort.
We are committed to ensuring our organisations do not, either directly or indirectly, contribute towards the institutionalisation of children. We are also committed to coordinating our activities and resources to maximise our collective efforts to support the transition to family and community-based care worldwide. Specifically, we commit to coordinating around six key themes:
Raising awareness and understanding in a way that stops the flow of funding and resources in support of orphanages and other types of institutions, and helping to redirect this support to family and community-based solutions. We will also seek to influence our partners, supporters and donors to work in a coordinated way to do the same.
Encouraging the integration of child protection and care services with health and education support in order to promote family-based care and ensure that the wide-ranging needs of children with disabilities and their carers are met.
Advocating with decision-makers - international and national - to prevent the placement of children into institutions, and to ensure that legislation and policy are always derived from a locally developed evidence base on how to best combat the key drivers of institutionalisation.
Investing in (whether financial or in-kind) local partner capacity – civil society and local authorities – to effectively manage the transition from institutions to quality family and community-based care in ways that protect the rights of affected children.
Promoting the meaningful participation of children and young people - actively seeking out, listening to and acting on the views and opinions of the young people and children we work with, and where safe and appropriate to do so, giving them a platform to share their views and ideas more widely – paying particular attention to ensuring gender balance, and the inclusion of children with disabilities and other minority groups.
Researching and generating an evidence base about key issues such as:
· best practice interventions to address the key drivers of institutionalisation;
· the proliferation and poor quality of care in these institutions;
· ways to challenge the invisibility of children in institutions, especially children with disabilities;
· the most appropriate alternative care options for children who cannot live with their own biological family.
To achieve this we will work together to share our data, research findings, methodologies and support countries to gather better data and monitor outcomes for all children. In doing this we will seek to Increase the visibility and understanding of disability issues in children’s care and protection through wider research and routinely disaggregated data collection.
List of signatories
1. Save the Children UK
2. World Vision
3. Plan International UK
4. Human Rights Watch
5. Islamic Relief Worldwide
6. Disability Rights International
7. Hope and Homes for Children
8. Lumos
9. DeafKidz International
10. Home for Good
11. Better Care Network
12. Friends International
13. Chance for Childhood
14. HealthProm
15. Forget Me Not Australia
16. Next Generation Nepal
17. One Sky Foundation
18. Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children
As the one millionth South Sudanese refugee enters Uganda this week, fears are rising that young people may be returning to South Sudan to participate in the conflict.
A new study led by international aid agency World Vision has found that opportunities to make a living within Uganda’s refugee settlements are severely limited. Without reliable ways to earn money or occupy themselves in the refugee camps, experts are concerned that children will return to South Sudan to join the fighting.
The report found that the majority of paid work that does exist is part-time and pays less than 10,000 UGX (£2.14) per week.
“People told us they’re worried about the growing cost of food in the market, their lack of means to earn an income and, for refugees, their reliance on food assistance,” said Benson Okabo, World Vision’s Operation Director of the West Nile Refugee Response.
The study interviewed 1,135 refugee and host community families in Arua District in northern Uganda, and learned that while the majority of the population are young people, most of them remain unemployed.
With more than one million refugees from South Sudan in Uganda, we have to make sure that children on the move are protected and that when they arrive, they are able to have opportunities to fully participate in society here.
Otherwise, with no options, there is a fear that they may return to South Sudan and take part in the conflict.
- Enid Kabasinguzi Ocaya, World Vision’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Humanitarian Emergency Affairs Manager, Uganda.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today reiterated its call to the international community for urgent additional support for the South Sudan refugee situation. The funding shortfall in Uganda is now significantly impacting the abilities to deliver life-saving aid and key basic services, a UNHCR statement said.
In June, the World Food Programme was forced to cut food rations for refugees. Across settlements in northern Uganda, health clinics are being forced to provide vital medical care with too few doctors, healthcare workers and medicines.
“Uganda is leading the world in their refugee response. They’ve provided refugee families with plots of land so that people can build homes and grow gardens. The government is working hand-in-hand with organisations to deliver food, water, child protection programmes and other essential services,” said Gilbert Kamanga, World Vision’s National Director in Uganda.
“Now is the time to further develop livelihood and peacebuilding projects to assist refugees integrate and regain a sense of self-reliance,” Kamanga said. World Vision has been responding to the refugee crisis in Uganda since 2014.