The Role of Child Helplines in Emergencies: Guidelines on operating a child helpline in emergency areas

With this guide, Child Helpline International (CHI) aims to assist child helplines in conflict zones and disaster-struck areas in order to help those most affected by emergencies. The guide, which is intended for CHI members and partners working on child protection in emergencies, provides practical and useful tools to enhance preparedness for child helplines in times of emergency.

The guide contains four chapters. Chapter 1 elaborates on the vulnerability of children in emergencies, providing an overview of the risks children are subject to during emergencies; Chapter 2 attempts to prepare a child helpline for an emergency, offering good practices on preparedness and development of a contingency plan; Chapter 3 captures the main principles and practices on crisis counselling and intervention, and offers tools for psychological supervision for counselling staff in emergency situations; and Chapter 4 explores how child helplines can set up and use safety zones in an effective way.

The guide is also available in French, Spanish, and Arabic.