Children Affected by Armed Conflict and Displacement

Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of war, and frequently represent at least half of the population in a conflict area. They suffer fear and insecurity, and disruption to every aspect of their lives. Children who have been displaced are at an increased risk of sexual and physical violence, disease and malnutrition, and separation from family members. As displaced persons or refugees they may experience severe poverty, abuse, exploitation, and psychosocial distress.

Children without parental care in conflict areas are highly vulnerable to abduction or other forms of recruitment by armed forces and groups. Such children may be used to fight, provide labour or be sexually exploited. Involvement in conflict may result in malnutrition, abuse, addiction to drugs, injury, psychosocial distress or death. While children associated with armed forces and groups make up a small minority of the total number of children affected by war, they are extremely vulnerable and in need of particular protection and care.

Opportunities to help children who have been associated with fighting forces may begin with their escape, capture or formal demobilization. Some may be able immediately to reunite with family members, but others may need interim care during tracing. While children may be readily accepted by their family and community, others risk rejection. Family mediation and community sensitization is needed to support family reunification and community integration. Ongoing monitoring, family support services, and placement planning is necessary where children are not reunited with one or both parents or where family and community acceptance is uncertain.

Community action to protect and support war affected children should be inclusive and not limited to children formally associated with armed forces or any one group of children. National efforts should focus on the reestablishment of essential services, particularly in the areas of security, health and education.

While this section contains resources relevant for all children in conflict affected areas, it focuses on children without parental care, including refugees and displaced children, and children associated with armed forces and groups. It includes information on demobilisation, family reunification and community reintegration.

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Yemen 5 years on: Children, conflict and COVID-19

UNICEF, 26 Jun 2020

This report from UNICEF explores the situation of children during the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines UNICEF's response to the crisis and presents a global call to action.

No Time to Wait: A Call to Increase Investments for Young Children and Families Facing COVID-19 and Displacement

Joan Lombardi, Early Opportunities; Nada Elattar, UNICEF; Dr. Sweta Shah, Aga Khan Foundation, 20 Jun 2020

This Call to Action outlines some of the impacts of both displacement and COVID-19 that are threatening the positive development of many young children around the world. It calls for governments and donors honor existing commitments, ensure inclusion of young children and families in public systems and take FIVE immediate actions.

Improving Support to Child Reintegration: Summary of findings from three reports

Global Coalition for Reintegration of Child Soldiers, 10 Jun 2020

This document is a summary of three papers on how to effectively support children who have exited armed forces and armed groups and contains actionable recommendations at the end to stimulate thinking and action to assist these most vulnerable children and their communities.

Recognition in the lives of unaccompanied children and youth: A review of the key European literature

Iida Kauhanen & Mervi Kaukko - Child & Family Social Work, 02 Jun 2020

This integrative literature review studies well‐being of unaccompanied asylum‐seeking children through the three modes of recognition—love, rights and solidarity—as conceptualized by Axel Honneth.

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Girls on the Move in the Balkans

Save the Children, 01 Jun 2020

This report from Save the Children presents a qualitative study with the participation of girls and young women who are in transit or have migrated to Greece, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Key Messages and Considerations for Programming for Children Associated with Armed Force or Armed Groups During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, 23 May 2020

This document highlights issues relating to prevention and response programming for Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups (CAAFAG) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Protected! Podcast Ep. 3: Featuring Elsa Laurin on Refugee Child Protection

The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, 15 May 2020

In this episode of the Protected! Podcast, Elsa Laurin, the Senior Child Protection Officer for the East and Horn of Africa from UNHCR, tells Hani Mansourian how they and their partner organisations re-prioritised child protection cases in response to the changing situation of shut borders in eastern Africa as the threat of an outbreak of COVID-19 loomed.

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Mozambique Conflict Insight

Institute for Peace and Security Studies, 01 Apr 2020

The purpose of this report is to provide analysis and policy implications to assist the African Union (AU), Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Member States and Development Partners in decision-making and in the implementation of peace and security related instruments.

Vulnerable children: Protection and social reintegration of child soldiers and youth members of gangs

James Garbarino, Amy Governale, Danielle Nesi - Child Abuse & Neglect, 14 Feb 2020

This article uses the framework of the CRC to review how the world has studied the involvement of child soldiers in armed conflict.

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Country Care Review: Rwanda

Better Care Network, 10 Feb 2020

This Country Care Review includes the care-related concluding observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as other care-related concluding observations, ratification dates, and links to the Universal Periodic Review and Hague Intercountry Adoption Country Profile.