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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS – The National Council for Family Affairs, in cooperation with Save the Children, UNHCR, UNICEF and UNFPA, is launching on Wednesday procedures for the enhancement of child protection and prevention of gender-based violence, with a particular focus on those affected by the Syrian crisis, whether living in camps, settlements or urban centres in Jordan.

The document is the result of extensive consultations with national and international stakeholders, involving over 40 ministries, institutions and organisations, including members of the Child Protection and Gender-based violence Sub-Working Groups. It aims to harmonise standards and procedures for responding to child protection and gender-based violence among all organisations providing prevention and response services to refugees and host populations, within the National Family Protection Framework.

Inter-agency Child Protection and Gender-based Violence assessments carried out in camps and urban settings in 2012/2013 found that some of the key protection challenges facing refugees in Jordan were lack of access to services and information about services available, exploitation of women and children, gender-based violence including domestic violence, sexual violence and early marriage, children separated from their families, lack of access to education and child labour.

The procedures also indicate which organisations are responsible for action in the four main response areas: security, health, psychosocial support, and law and justice. The standard operating procedures are an important development as they will ensure that survivors of gender-based violence and children exposed to protection risks will be referred to appropriate specialized response services in a timely manner. These procedures will be accompanied by a training programme and be widely disseminated to ensure that refugees and host communities are aware of the services available, and where they can be accessed.

The conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic is now in its third year; more than 4 million Syrians have been internally displaced. Over 1.7 million refugees have fled to neighbouring countries, and hundreds continue to cross the border into Jordan every week. The influx of people coupled with a precarious economic situation in Jordan, have put a strain on public services throughout the country, and many refugees have indicated that they experience difficulties accessing public services.

As of 15 July, more than 420,000 Syrians are registered with UNHCR, while approximately 66,000 are awaiting registration. The majority of the refugees who have fled from Syria are women and children. In addition, Jordan continues to host some 60,000 refugees from Iraq and other countries according to Government estimates.