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Natasha Kokai    and Charmaine Brown
The Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Ministry is expected to engage the Registrar-General’s Office to assist children affected by Cyclone Idai to get new registration documents.

The ministry’s secretary, Dr Judith Kateera, told The Herald in an interview that the Child Protection Services Unit will implement the task and will provide basic needs of the children.

“We will implement response measures during the ongoing disaster through provision of basic services such as food, clothing, education and psycho-social support in partnership with civic society organisations,” she said.

“Some children lost their documents like birth certificates and national identification cards. We will also be working with the Registrar-General’s Office so that we acquire birth certificates for those children.

“We are also working on a reunion of the children who were separated from their parents or guardians in the disaster.

“Some of them lost both parents. We will be looking for a place where they can stay permanently. We are also tracing relatives they can stay with or foster care.”

Dr Kateera said communities are sensitised on child protection issues and play an active role in building a protective environment and resilience building of their children.

“The Child Protection Services Unit is also implementing the following as measures to the disaster; counselling and psychosocial support provision to the affected children and their families, transport assistance and emergency fund for victims to access protection services,” she said.

More than 100 000 children were affected by Cyclone Idai which hit some parts of Manicaland  last month.

Unicef Zimbabwe says an estimated 60 000 children are in need of immediate protection services.

About 100 000 children are in need of welfare and civil registration services in nine flood-affected districts.