1 Introduction:
Protection cluster has been actively involved in facilitating the most vulnerable among the IDPs through protection activities such as grievance desks, providing legal advice, establishing protection committees and through mobile protection teams. The Child Protection sub-Cluster members/humanitarian organizations are providing child protection services to 40,814 children (18,478 girls) and 14,438 women through 46 Protection Learning and Community `Emergency Services (PLaCES) and Child Friendly Spaces (CFSs) including outreach services in three IDP camps and host communities of Kohat, Hangu, Bannu districts/FR Bannu and Kurram Agency.
As of August 2015, 50,590 families have returned to Khyber Agency, South Waziristan Agency (SWA), and North Waziristan Agency (NWA). This includes 1,551 unregistered families to SWA and 761 unregistered families to NWA. The relocation of 84 families from Togh Sarai camp started on August 2015. To date, 81 families have relocated to New Durrani camp.
Out of the total number of displaced population, 16% of the families have been returned while 84% are still in displacement. There are still challenges faced by both the returnees and people in displacement.
According to assessments, child protection issues esp. child labor, holds a key significance as children get involved in daily wages or collection of fire woods which disables them to get admitted in schools. The other issue which is commonly found in assessments is the issues of CNICs esp. to women which hampers the process of registration and assistance. Mostly female headed households who are without CNIC face difficulties during returns as well as displacement. Moreover, issues relating to persons with disability esp. women with disability are found to hold a key stance for advocacy approaches, as this segment of the displaced society are often not seen as key stakeholders and their needs are not taken into consideration.
Therefore, the needs for advocacy on such key concerns were felt to be dealt upon in various forums by identification of stakeholders who can better take up the situation and many displaced communities can get benefit from. Thus, the protection cluster organized advocacy strategy workshop with the cluster members to find out more of such issues which need advocacy which the cluster members felt while working in field level. The workshop aimed at developing a consensus on key protection concerns which can be taken further for advocacy.