COVID-19 has led to an unprecedented increase in risk factors of harm for refugee and conflict affected children.

Widespread poverty, school closures, increased health and psychosocial distress, and xenophobia, among other factors, are known risk factors for several child protection issues, including

credit:

child labor, early marriage, separation, and violence against children.

COVID-19 mitigation measures have significantly disrupted social protection systems, putting millions of children, and especially refugees who already faced increased marginalization, at greater risk of violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect.

These circumstances coupled with dwindling resources due to economic contraction, makes it necessary for the child protection sector to identify innovative solutions to prevent and respond to child protection issues through intersectoral interventions.

The child protection community of practice has developed numerous resources demonstrating the need for increased intersectoral responses for children, where children are placed at the center and all interventions consider opportunities to promote child well-being through prevention and identification of those in need of services.

However, gaps remain in translating this guidance to action in the field.

(Note:
An intersectoral activity is one that incorporates child protection into other sector interventions).

The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the urgency in ensuring that global technical resources reach stakeholders in the field, including local actors, and best practices and standards are institutionalized across organizations and contextualized in different settings.