Within the United Nations humanitarian coordination system, the Protection Cluster plays a key role in responding to humanitarian crises. This cluster aims to coordinate the actions of humanitarian organisations in the field of protecting the rights and safety of people affected by conflicts or emergencies. In its activities, the Protection Cluster seeks to make protection a fundamental element of all humanitarian strategies and plans of the UN and its partners.
The cluster system in humanitarian coordination was introduced to increase the effectiveness of international assistance. It brings together UN agencies, non-governmental organisations and other actors who focus on different aspects of the response, from health to shelter and water supply. Each cluster has its own area of responsibility and a designated UN coordinator. The protection cluster is one such sector, responsible in particular for the rights and safety of people in crises.
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The main mission and context of the protection cluster’s activities
The Protection Cluster aims to ensure a coordinated, effective and principled humanitarian response in the area of protection. The focus is on analysing risks to affected populations, developing protection measures and incorporating these aspects into overall humanitarian operations strategies. The cluster advises humanitarian operations coordinators on protection strategies, helps integrate protection into the work of other sectors and supports compliance with international humanitarian law.
Key areas of the cluster’s work include working with specific population groups with special needs, including children, women, people affected by gender-based violence, and those who have lost their homes or are exposed to the risks of mines and unexploded ordnance. These areas cover various specialised areas known as “areas of responsibility”: gender-based violence, child protection, housing and property rights.
Role in crisis response and coordination of actions
The Protection Cluster operates at global and local levels. The global cluster, coordinated by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), develops policies, standards and tools to respond to protection challenges in humanitarian crises around the world. This includes strategic planning, situation monitoring, risk assessment and support to partner organisations.
At the crisis-specific level, the protection cluster coordinates the activities of international and national organisations, monitors the human rights situation and advocates for the protection of the most vulnerable groups. The cluster’s activities are aimed at collecting data on key challenges facing the civilian population and helping to focus resources on priority humanitarian issues.
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Protection risk analysis and response planning
The protection cluster regularly analyses risks related to restrictions on freedom of movement, forced displacement, threats to the physical and psychosocial safety of children, gender-based violence and other aspects affecting the well-being of the civilian population. The data obtained is used to formulate operational recommendations and long-term plans that take into account both the needs of the people and the resources of humanitarian partners.
Ukrainian context
In Ukraine, the protection cluster operates in response to the ongoing military aggression and humanitarian crisis, which has caused large-scale population displacement and serious challenges for the protection of civilians. The cluster is coordinated by UNHCR in collaboration with national partners, including Ukrainian non-governmental organisations, and works to monitor the situation in both government-controlled areas and areas with limited access. It includes areas of responsibility covering child protection and gender-based violence, as well as housing, land and property issues.
Cluster partners monitor restrictions on freedom of movement, forced displacement, difficulties in accessing justice and other risks affecting the lives of internally displaced persons, refugees and people remaining in conflict-affected areas. This data forms the basis for adapting the humanitarian response and facilitates coordination between humanitarian organisations, authorities and local communities.
The Protection Cluster’s activities in Ukraine also include supporting initiatives aimed at developing community protection capacities, projects to strengthen social stability, and partnership programmes with local organisations working directly with affected communities.
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