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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VAC and Alternative care in refugee settings

Elsa Laurin - UNHCR, 21 Jun 2017

This UNHCR presentation provides an overview of alternative care for children in East African refugee contexts.

What the girls say: Improving practices for the demobilisation and reintegration of girls associated with armed forces and armed groups in Democratic Republic of Congo

Marie de la Soudière - Child Soldiers International , 19 Jun 2017

This report presents the findings of research conducted by Child Soldiers International to assess the effectiveness of release, psychosocial recovery and reintegration interventions for girls associated with armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Practical guide to foster community acceptance of girls associated with armed groups in DR Congo

Marie de la Soudière - Child Soldiers International, 19 Jun 2017

This guide is presented as a “toolbox” to help DDR actors respond to the needs of girls formerly associated with armed groups in eastern DRC, and to overcome the many obstacles to their release and reintegration, reported by some of the girls themselves.

Protecting Syrian children en route to Europe: A study conducted in Syria, along transit routes & in hosting countries

Arezo Malakooti & Sebastien Duhaut - Altai Consulting, Save the Children, 12 Jun 2017

This report describes the findings from a research study on the protection of children fleeing from the Syria conflict and traveling to Europe.

The impact of the asylum process on mental health: a longitudinal study of unaccompanied refugee minors in Norway

Marianne Jakobsen, Melinda Ashley Meyer DeMott, Tore Wentzel-Larsen, Trond Heir - BMJ Open, 16 May 2017

This study examined the mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors during the asylum-seeking process, with a focus on specific stages in the asylum process, such as age assessment, placement in a supportive or non-supportive facility and final decision on the asylum applications.

May 11, 2017 Webinar: 2nd Webinar on the Initiative on Child Rights in the Global Compact on Refugees and the Global Compact on safe, orderly, and regular Migration

CPC Learning Network & Initiative for Child Rights in the Global Compacts, 11 May 2017

During this webinar on Thursday, May 11th, 2017, the second in the series of webinars organized by the Initiative for Child Rights in the Global Compacts, two experts Mike Dottridge and Professor Jacqueline Bhabha outlined their current work on one of the key outputs of the initiative: a working document entitled “Child Rights in the Global Compact”.

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The Intergenerational Effect of Cambodia's Genocide on Children's Education and Health

Asadul Islam, Chandarany Ouch, Russell Smyth, Liang Choon Wang - Population and Development Review, 19 Apr 2017

This study investigates the intergenerational impact of conflict on the educational and health outcomes of children born years after the conflict in Cambodia ended by exploiting geographical variation in the intensity of the genocide that occurred during the Khmer Rouge (KR) regime in Cambodia.

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Emergency Within an Emergency: The Growing Epidemic of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Children in Greece

Vasileia Digidiki & Jacqueline Bhabha - Francois-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, 13 Apr 2017

The present study analyzes the risk factors responsible for the exposure of migrant and refugee children to physical, psychological, and sexual violence and exploitation in Greece in the context of the ongoing migrant humanitarian crisis.

Children Come First, Intervento in Frontiera: Dossier II

Alessio Fasulo - Save the Children Italy, 01 Apr 2017

As part of the "Children Come First: Intervention at the border" project, Save the Children Italy elaborates and disseminates, on a quarterly basis, a dossier containing quantitative and qualitative information (profiles) relating to migrant minors entering Italy. This dossier contains information relating to the period January-March 2017.

The Impact of Protection Interventions on Unaccompanied and Separated Children in Humanitarian Crises

Williamson, K., Gupta, P., Gillespie, L.A., Shannon, H. and Landis, D. – Oxfam, 22 Mar 2017

This systematic review examines the impact of protection interventions on unaccompanied and separated children, during the period of separation, in humanitarian crises.