Children receive school supplies [Photo UNICEF]

A network of child protection organizations in South Sudan have launched a new online database and application, designed to better protect children in emergencies.

The organizations include the UN Children’s agency –UNICEF, Save the Children and local organizations advancing the welfare of children in the country.

Developed globally but customized for South Sudan, the app contains a database of child protection cases, which front line case workers can update and monitor in real time, removing the need for paper-based work while in the field.

In a statement issued by UNICEF, the innovation is expected to drastically reduce administration time, giving case managers more time to supporting vulnerable children.

It says the application has the capacity to take photos and record audio, which the children’s agency says makes it much easier for case workers to trace families and reunite children with their parents.

With internet connectivity being extremely poor across South Sudan, the app is designed to be downloaded and then synced at the beginning and end of the day.

The app also works across different agencies, linking up case managers across the country and ensuring a continuity of support for each child registered in the system.

The app and online system is being launched along with the first ever case management handbook for case workers, which gives step by step guidance for field workers how to manage vulnerable cases.

These includes how to speak with children to reduce trauma, how to assess child and family data, and the steps to follow to ensure high-risk children get the specialized support they need to survive and recover.