KATHMANDU, Sept 19: The government has tightened child protection measures for children affected by the devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli River on August 26, directing authorities to manage their protection only through the state’s established child protection system.
The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens has expressed serious concern over attempts by individuals or organizations to take custody of flood-affected children in the name of providing care, education or protection, influence them through various means, or subject them to unwanted religious influence under the guise of counseling.
The ministry said that allowing individuals or organizations to take custody of or relocate children at their discretion during a disaster could put their safety, psychosocial well-being, emotional development and long-term future at risk.
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To ensure the best interests, safety and future of children, the government has brought an interim protection service center into operation at Thecho in Godawari Municipality-12, Lalitpur, under the National Child Rights Council. The ministry said children who require immediate protection based on preliminary screening and assessment will be placed at the center in accordance with established procedures.
The ministry has also asked the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to coordinate with and facilitate the relevant local authorities in bringing children who have lost parental care or are temporarily deprived of family protection because of the flood into a safe protection system.
The ministry has urged local levels affected by the August 26 flood and those declared crisis-hit areas by the government to coordinate with relevant state agencies for the rescue, identification, protection, family reunification and provision of necessary services to children, keeping their best interests at the center.
The ministry stressed that child protection during disasters should not depend on the personal initiatives of individuals or organizations but should operate through the state mechanism and child protection system established by law in a systematic, safe and accountable manner.
The government’s initiative will provide immediate safe shelter for flood-affected children while establishing a framework to address their identification, family assessment, protection, education, psychosocial support and long-term rehabilitation through an integrated system.
