Children's Corners - a Lifesaver in Natural Disasters

Representatives of 38 children's corners, established after the catastrophic floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with representatives of local, entity, and state authorities, will discuss the importance of child protection in emergency situations at a meeting in Sarajevo, reports the Patria News Agency.

It is estimated that 60 percent of children in Bosnia and Herzegovina were affected by the catastrophic floods that hit our country in May 2014. To protect children from the shock and trauma caused by this natural disaster, Children's Corners were opened throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the participation of over 3,800 boys and girls.

To present the work of the Children's Corners, as well as to establish a platform for exchanging experiences and recommendations that can be applied in similar situations in the future, the organizations Save the Children, UNICEF, and World Vision BiH, in partnership with the Ministry of Security of BiH, are organizing the conference Children First: Protection Mechanisms in Natural Disaster Situations.

The conference will be held on March 5, 2015. The conference will include an exhibition of children's works and photographs from the Children's Corners titled A Day of Growing Up, a performance of a children's song about the floods called Anthem of Courage, the presentation of the Manual on Child Protection in Crisis Situations and the Publication on the Work of Children's Corners in BiH, and a panel discussion on lessons learned and next steps we can take to protect children in crisis situations and natural disasters.