Training on Child Protection in Emergengies Featured
Acting Minister Hon. Tevita Lavemaau with the paticipants
Nuku'alofa, 19 January 2016. The Acting Minister for Internal Affairs, Hon. Tevita Lavemaau today opened a four-day training on “Child Protection in Emergencies at both national and sub national levels” at the Tonga National Centre, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In his address Hon Lavemaau acknowledged the usefulness of the training as it deals with various issues emerging in Tonga, especially in view of the increasing risks of natural disasters in the future.
He said that children are always at risk of being directly affected during natural disasters such as flooding, cyclones, hurricanes and tsunamis. Reverend Fili Lilo of the National Forum of Church Leaders emphasized the importance of the cluster members working together in times of disaster to ensure there is no duplication of information and that people’s needs are given full attention.
UNICEF Pacific said the training will be focused on issues relating to child protection such as abuse, exploitation and gender-based violence.
The Ministry leads the Safety and Protection Cluster in times of disaster and this training is specifically for members of the clusters, including Non-Government Organizations (NGO’s).
Child Protection, especially during the trying times of natural disasters, is an important issue in this training and so Town and District Officers, staff from National Emergency Management Office, Ministry of Police, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education are present at the workshop to learn and share over the next four days.
The training will continue to the outer islands in Ha’apai and Vava’u shortly.
ENDS
Issued by the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications
