The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child. Together with partners, UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to translate this commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
UNICEF’s accountabilities in emergency settings are enshrined in the organization’s Core Commitments for Children in emergencies (CCCs). Globally and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNICEF is the lead humanitarian agency for Child Protection and Education.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNICEF works with Government partners and their sub-national institutions (Centres for Social Welfare), UN agencies, and NGO partners (Danish Refugee Council, Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages, World Vision, Zene sa Une) to meet children’s immediate needs, including safety, protection, health care, adequate nutrition and education.
UNICEF supports the following the services in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
- Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) in the Salakovac Refugee Recpetion Centre, the Ušivak Temporary Reception Centre (TRC), the Borići TRC, the Bira TRC, the Sedra TRC and in Velika Kladuša. CFS provide children with opportunities to develop, play, learn, and strengthen their resilience, as well as access psychosocial support.
- Mother and Baby Corners (MBC) in the Salakovac Refugee Recpetion Centre, the Ušivak TRC, the Borići TRC, the Bira TRC, and the Sedra TRC. MBC provide parents with Infant and Young Child Feeding counselling, information/awareness raising on breastfeeding and hygiene, psychosocial counselling, and support the provision of infant food and hygiene products.
- Adequate interim care, protection and provision of support services to unaccompanied and separated children and children at risk/child victims of violence, abuse, and exploitation. UNICEF and partners aim to ensure that well-trained guardians take immediate responsibility for unaccompanied and separated children, providing them with advice and information on how to access adequate interim care, protection, and provision of support services (including education and healthcare), and referring them to relevant partners (UNHCR and Vaša Prava) who can provide information on and access to asylum procedures. 24/7 onsite Child Protection Teams provide support to unaccompanied and separated children and to children at risk/victims of violence, abuse, and exploitation, including psychosocial support, make referrals to external support services (legal representation and assistance, medical services) when required and provide access to recreational/leisure and sport activities.
- Enrolment of children into public schools. UNICEF and partners support the enrolment of children into public schools to ensure the realization of children’s right to education. Access to formal education is currently available for children 6-15 years of age accommodated in the Ušivak TRC, House for All, the Borići TRC, the Bira TRC, the Zene sa Une shelter, and the Sedra TRC. Children need to undergo a health check-up prior to enrolment into public schools.
- Paediatric care and urgent dental care. UNICEF and DRC provide access to paediatric care and urgent dental care in the infirmary in the Sedra TRC.
- Immunization. UNICEF and partners (public health centres and DRC) provide information on and access to immunization of children.
Tel.: +387 33 293 600
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UNICEFBiH/
Website: www.unicef.org/bih/en
Address: Zmaja od Bosne bb, UN Common house, Sarajevo
Working hours: Monday – Thursday 08.00-17.00; Friday 08.00-14.00