The inter-agency Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action defines child protection in emergencies as: “the prevention and response to abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence against children in times of emergency caused by natural or manmade disasters, conflicts, or other crises.” 1 This includes all forms of physical and psychological abuse, sexual and gender based violence, and deprivation of basic needs.

According to international standards, the IFRC Child Protection Policy defines the age of a child as any person under the age of 18 years.

The Minimum Standards reinforce children’s specific rights as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and support the UN Sustainable Development Goals. For an introduction to the Minimum Standards, visit the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action Youtube page. (From the document). This briefing summarises the issues. See #6617 for the full 2019 edition of the CPMS). Record #6611