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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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.

Mid-level CPIE Staff Capacity Gap Analysis in the West and Central Africa Region (including Mauritania)

Serena Zanella & Manuela De Gaspari - Save the Children, 01 Feb 2020

The child protection in emergencies (CPiE) capacity gaps analysis (CGA) in the West and Central Africa (plus Mauritania) region, targeting CPiE practitioners with 3-5 years of professional experience, aimed to collect and provide information on (1) identified key CPiE capacity gaps and (2) existing and available capacity building initiatives.

Girls on the Move in Southern Africa

Save the Children, 02 Jan 2020

This report’s primary purpose is to recommend evidence-based strategies to improve the relevance and effectiveness of field interventions that target development outcomes for migrant girls in Southern Africa.

Solutions for Children Previously Affiliated With Extremist Groups: An Evidence Base to Inform Repatriation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration

UN Office of the SRSG on Violence against Children, 2020

This report from the UN Office of the SRSG on Violence against Children explores repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of foreign, Iraqi and Syrian children who are being held in detention on suspected ISIS association or terror-related offenses, or in camps.

Stop the War on Children 2020 Gender Matters: The West and Central Africa brief

Save the Children, 2020

This brief - a supplement to the Stop the War on Children 2020: Gender matters report - highlights the situation of children in conflict zones in West and Central Africa with a focus on gender.

Gender-Based Violence and Violence Against Children: Prevention and Response Services in Uganda’s Refugee-Hosting Districts

Government of Uganda and World Bank, 2020

The Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (DRDIP) analysis includes a comprehensive mapping of services for GBV and VAC prevention and response across the key sectors of health, police, justice, and social services in refugee settlements and host communities.

Caring for Children Through Conflict and Displacement

Rachel Calam, Aala El-Khani, Kim Cartwright, 2020

This booklet is based on a pilot study testing the feasibility of delivering and evaluating a light touch parenting intervention for caregivers in the West Bank.