A big hello to SORD - Keeping Children Safe

We’d like to welcome Sanid Organization for Relief and Development (SORD) to the KCS members’ network.

They are an independent non–governmental, non-profit and non-partisan organisation that works in Yemen, originally launched as a youth initiative in 2013. The Main Office of SORD is located in Sana’a, with another office in Aden. SORD was granted a special consultative status by the Economic and Social Council in 2019 and has adopted the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross, Red Crescent Movement, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief.

SORD strives to contribute to achieving the goals of sustainable development by 2030, by creating better living standards for all segments of society, with a focus on women, children, youth and people with special needs and marginalized people.

They are in contact with 1200 children, have 15 staff members and 35 volunteers.

By Riadh Saif, COO, explains:

What made you decide to join the KCS members’ network?

Our joining KCS will enhance our capabilities in protecting children, work to develop more accurate policies and processes and raise the capabilities of our staff in understanding the appropriate language and behaviour that translate international standards and foundations in child protection, especially in areas of crisis and armed conflict where children are the most affected group.

What is your key driver to implementing child safeguarding?

SORD is aware that violence against children is widespread throughout the world and in all societies, especially in areas of armed conflict such as Yemen, which is still in the midst of an ongoing war since 2015, and children under the age of 18 have been exploited in hostilities, thus many of them lost their lives and livelihoods. We are deeply committed to eliminating violence against children and take seriously our duty to protect and promote the well-being of all children. It also means holding ourselves accountable to ensure that no child is harmed and doing everything we can to make sure that children remain safe from armed conflict, crises and natural disasters.

Where do you think your organisation will be regarding child safeguarding in a year?

SORD seeks to be the first model in Yemen in implementing the policies and procedures adopted by KCS to protect children to abuse, and we hope that SORD will have an influential role in pushing local non-profit organizations to adopt these standards and commit to implementing them and circulating them on the national framework.

What message do you want to tell your staff, donors and the wider world?

Protecting children is a moral and humanitarian responsibility that we must all abide by so that we can raise a generation capable of coexistence and spreading a culture of peace.

Useful links

You can find SORD on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin