Who are children at risk?
Children may be at risk if they are separated from parents and extended family members, or in an unstable alternative care arrangement.
What are the risks they face?
Children are at risk of neglect, child labour, exploitation, sexual and gender-based violence such as early marriage, child defilement, early pregnancy, child trafficking, school dropout, idleness, and substance abuse.
What kind of child protection services are available for refugees in Addis Ababa?
With UNHCR’s partner, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), UNHCR has had a child protection programme in Addis Ababa since July 2018. The key components of the urban child protection programme include the following:
- Quality case management for children at risk, including through home visits.
- Refugee Outreach Volunteer Programme with 20 para-social workers from eight (8) refugee communities.
- Individual psychosocial support.
- Targeted assistance for unaccompanied and separated children, including family-based alternative care and cash-based interventions (CBI) for foster families.
- Recreational activities at the indoor Child-Friendly Space and outdoor play activities at the Child Protection Centre Child.
- Youth empowerment: Provision of language classes, life skills interventions, and child parliaments.
- Education support
Access to JRS Child Protection Centre: The JRS Child Protection Centre, located at Kirkos Sub City, is open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, offering recreational activities at the Child-Friendly Space (CFS) from Monday to Friday. It is accessible to all refugee children in Addis Ababa, regardless of specific needs or risks.
📖 Questions? See some answers below ⬇️
Financial Assistance for Foster Families:
If you are a refugee fostering children, this will not automatically qualify you for cash assistance.
The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) applies strict criteria, and only a limited number of foster families who meet these criteria will receive additional financial assistance.
Please contact the JRS at Kirkos Sub City, opposite Ewket Fana Primary School in Addis Ababa for JRS for an assessment of your case. You can also contact JRS:
- By Phone: +251114704874
- By Post: JRS Child Protection Center, P.o.box: 12474, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Concerns about Your Children's Onward Movement/Irregular Migration:
Through the Telling the Real Story (TRS) project, we provide support and inform Somali and Eritrean refugee and asylum-seeker communities about the risks and dangers associated with irregular migration.
Authentic witness testimonies of those who have attempted those journeys enhance awareness about its dangers within the communities.
How UNHCR Can Help:
To ensure the safety of your children, you can contact UNHCR for counseling sessions specifically addressing onward movement and irregular migration. The project aims to equip individuals and families with the necessary information to make informed decisions about their future.
Refugee Outreach Volunteers (ROVs):
In addition to UNHCR, seek guidance from Refugee Outreach Volunteers (ROVs) based in Addis Ababa. These volunteers are members of refugee communities from Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi.
They have undergone training to effectively raise awareness about the risks associated with onward movement and irregular migration.
In times of uncertainty, reaching out to UNHCR and ROVs can provide valuable support and information to safeguard your children from potential dangers.
Support to refugee children living by themselves in Addis Ababa:
The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is a UNHCR partner and provides different Child Protection services at the Child Protection Centre.
You can contact the JRS at Kirkos Sub City, opposite Ewket Fana Primary School in Addis Ababa for JRS for an assessment of your case. You can also contact JRS:
- By Phone: +251114704874
- By Post: JRS Child Protection Center, P.o.box: 12474, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
JRS provides support to unaccompanied and separated children, as well as other refugee and asylum-seeker children with critical specific needs at heightened risk of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect.
Please urgently report to JRS Child Protection staff, if you come across refugee or asylum-seeker children at risk.
Refugee Outreach Volunteers working on Child Protection and Youth can also support in linking refugee and asylum-seeker children with JRS.
