Oman ministry highlights child protection efforts; committees handle over 2500 cases

Muscat: The Ministry of Social Development (MOSD) in the Sultanate of Oman has released key statistics and achievements from its 2024 operations, highlighting progress across social welfare, family and community development, child protection, disability services, and voluntary work.

In child protection and juvenile services, the Child Protection Committees handled 2,973 cases of abused children, while 563 juvenile cases were documented, with 32 juveniles admitted to rehabilitation and nine to guidance centres. Family Protection Services admitted 72 abused children, with 1,246 calls received on the Child Protection Helpline. The ministry also addressed 27 human trafficking cases, 17 cases of women prevented from marriage, and nine cases of abused women. The Psychological Counselling and Family Guidance Helpline handled 1,390 calls from 2020 to 2024, with 567 calls in 2024 alone, and provided direct counselling to 2,786 individuals in 2024.

In social assistance and empowerment, the ministry provided OMR 11.986 million in aid to 102,167 cases in 2024. From 2020 to 2024, 1,635 individuals received employment-linked training, with 234 trained in 2024. The ministry facilitated 675 employment opportunities for vulnerable groups between 2020 and 2025, with 92 in 2024. Additionally, 86 households received support to launch home-based projects, with a total funding of OMR 64,585. Disability services saw 64,087 persons with disabilities receiving ID cards by the end of 2024, including 21,388 in 2024. The number of rehabilitation centres reached 119, with 19 new centres opened in 2024, benefiting 8,893 individuals. Since 2020, 28,111 assistive devices were distributed, with 10,795 in 2024.

For family and early childhood development, the number of nurseries reached 369, with 14 new nurseries opened in 2024, enrolling 10,082 children. The Child Care Centre and Youth Homes accommodated 74 and 77 children, respectively, and 1,074 children were placed with foster families. In voluntary work, the ministry reported 68 Omani Women's Associations, 32 charitable associations, and 64 voluntary teams. Beneficiaries of assistance from social development committees and voluntary teams reached 317,463, with over OMR 25.506 million disbursed in 2024. The "Jood Charity" platform facilitated donations from 168,747 donors, collecting OMR 2.552 million for initiatives and OMR 174,213 for relief campaigns. The ministry also received OMR 802,440 in support from private and charitable entities for its programs, including disability programs, elder care, student programs, and women's associations. These statistics demonstrate the ministry’s dedication to enhancing social welfare and community empowerment in Oman.