14 \ outline of protection initiatives 4.2. Jordan Field Jordan hosts nearly 2 million Palestine refugees, most of whom have been granted citizenship. However, there are still a number of challenges that face Palestine refugees living in Jordan. The safety and security of children in schools has been highlighted as a key protection risk linked to UNRWA service delivery. In addition, the Palestinian refugees that were displaced from Gaza in 1967 remain particularly vulnerable (ex-Gazans). The 132,000 UNRWA registered ex-Gazan refugees, as well as an unknown number of unregistered ex-Gazans, do not hold Jordanian citizenship. Consequently, they now face a number of restrictions, including to employment opportunities, secondary health care and access to higher education. Jordan field office will focus its protection the following areas: • • • • within Education – Providing safe schools, including protection from sexual harassment. Equal access to services – Advocacy to ensure equal access to basic services for all official UNRWA refugee camps. Poverty - Improving employability f o r vulnerable groups of Palestine refugees, in particular, the ex-Gazan refugees. Participation - Support area level protection working groups to identify and address protection issues through close collaboration with the local community. 4.2.1. Jordan Field key protection initiatives © Isabel de la Cruz/ UNRWA archives Protection from child abuse and gender based violence, including sexual harassment When UNRWA front-line staff members (social workers, teachers, doctors, nurses, midwives, etc.) identify cases of child abuse and gender based violence (GBV), they often do not have the means to provide the care and case management necessary for an effective response and intervention. UNRWA is therefore in the process of increasing the capacity of staff to detect and respond appropriately to cases of child abuse and GBV, strengthening referral mechanisms with specialist, partner organizations and working with the community on awarenessraising and prevention. Within GBV and child abuse, an issue that has been identified as a major concern by UNRWA programme staff, is vulnerability of children to sexual harassment and abuse inside UNRWA facilities. Several incidents have been recorded of young men climbing over the boundary walls of UNRWA schools and abusing school children (boys and girls). This abuse often happens in the bathrooms, located away from the main school building. UNRWA staff have acknowledged that children have little awareness of how to avoid and report on such incidences. UNRWA’s response to these challenges includes: • • • • Strengthening the capacity of front-line staff to detect, refer and provide necessary support to survivors of GBV and child abuse; Coordinating with existing national r e f e r r a l systems and local NGOs to ensure support for victims of GBV and child abuse; Improve school infrastructure to ensure security and protection of boy and girl students from sexual harassment and abuse; Raise student awareness on how on how to avoid and reacht to sexual harassment and abuse. This initiative will contribute to HDG 1 A long and healthy life and HDG 4 Ensure universal access to and coverage e o f basic education, specifically to strategic objectives 2 and 5: