Dutch children's organizations help refugee children to play again - Humanity House
5 January 2016

Dutch children’s organizations help refugee children to play again

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UNICEF

Hundreds of millions of people suffer the effects of conflicts and disasters every year. Tens of millions of them are children under the age of five. In emergencies, UNICEF helps children directly in the areas of health care, nutrition, water, sanitary facilities and hygiene. Moreover, UNICEF provides child protection and education in such situations.

War Child, UNICEF Netherlands and Save the Children will work together in the Netherlands from now on under the coalition name ‘Children on the run’.  The children’s organizations will offer refugee children recreational activities.

At the moment, 13,765 refugee children are living in approximately eighty shelters in the Netherlands. “In their homeland and during their journey to the Netherlands, these children have experienced frightening and intense moments. Structure and this type of activity are an important step in the processing of their war experiences,” according to Jan Bouke Wijbrandi (director of UNICEF Netherlands).
Tjipke Bergsma, director of War Child: “The three organizations have years of experience working with war children throughout the world.  We have a duty to our office to also do something for these children in the Netherlands.” At a set moment in the week, the coalition wants to organize recreational activities such as sport, play, dance and theatre for children six to eighteen years old. When children relax, they can forget their bad experiences and just be children again. “We know, through our psychosocial expertise, that this is the first step in the process,” Bergsma explains.
The coalition made up of War Child, UNICEF Netherlands and Save the Children begins the project on December 15, 2015. By the beginning of next year, they want to be active in the first five shelter locations. After that, depending on available funds, the activities will be extended to as many locations as possible. The aid organizations are presently developing a common method that can be applied in the Netherlands. Internationally, these three organizations have been working together for years. It is the first time that the coalition will work so closely together in the Netherlands.
Pim Kraan, director of Save the Children: “Keeping a healthy development of children in mind, it is of great importance that this fragile group begins to lead a normal and stable life as quickly as possible. Structured, recreational activities help them in this.” The point of departure is that the activities are complementary to what other organizations and the Dutch government already do. The COA (Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers) welcomes the collective action of War Child, UNICEF Netherlands and Save the Children.

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