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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Displaced Rohingya children at high risk for mental health problems: Findings from refugee camps within Bangladesh

Naila Z. Khan, Asma Begum Shilpi, Razia Sultana, Shaoli Sarker, Sultana Razia, Bipasha Roy, Abu Arif, Misbah Uddin Ahmed, Subas Chandra Saha, Helen McConachie - Child: care, health and development, 18 Oct 2018

This study examined the levels of child neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and mental health problems among displaced Rohingya populations into Bangladesh.

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Country Care Review: Mauritania

Better Care Network, 11 Oct 2018

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child as part of its examination of Mauritania's initial reports, as well as other care-related concluding observations, ratification dates, and links to the Universal Periodic Review.

War Violence Exposure, Reintegration Experiences and Intimate Partner Violence Among a Sample of War-Affected Females in Sierra Leone

Binta Alleyne-Green, Alex Kulick, Sara Matsuzaka, Theresa S. Betancourt - Global Social Welfare, 09 Oct 2018

This study from Global Social Welfare examined the contributions of potentially stigmatizing war violence exposures and more recent post-conflict reintegration experiences to intimate partner violence for girls in Sierra Leone. Overall, this sample reported middling levels of community reintegration, and similar average rates of family reintegration.

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Handbook for Children in Foster Care: Away From Home, and All Alone - Helping Displaced Children Understand Foster Care

SUKA Society, UNHCR Malaysia, 01 Oct 2018

This is a child-friendly summary of a handbook developed specifically to create a Foster Care Programme for unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) within the Rohingya community in Malaysia.

Handbook for Children in Foster Care: Away From Home, and All Alone - Helping Displaced Children Understand Foster Care

SUKA Society, UNHCR Malaysia, 01 Oct 2018

This is a child-friendly summary of a handbook developed specifically to create a Foster Care Programme for unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) within the Rohingya community in Malaysia.

Conflicts and Displacements in Syria: Exploring Life Trajectories of Separated Refugee Minors

A. K. M. Ahsan Ullah - Asian Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies , 20 Sep 2018

This paper explores how unaccompanied refugee children from Syria made their way to destination countries and how they become unaccompanied and the consequences of being unaccompanied.

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Child Protection Risks and Needs in Mali: Secondary Data Review

Child Protection Area of Responsibility in Mali and the Global CP AoR, 01 Sep 2018

This review of secondary sources refers to information on child protection risks and violence against children in Mali, collected from 2016 to 2018.

Urgent: Recommendations for Improving Interim Care for Separated Children

The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action and Better Care Network, 23 Aug 2018

The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action and Better Care Network are calling for the prompt reunification of separated children with their families and to provide interim care in accordance with the UN Guidelines for Alternative Care of Children.

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Darles Voz a Los Niños Inmigrantes: Entender la Separación Traumática

National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 07 Aug 2018

Este Seminario en línea ayuda a proveedores, cuidadores primarios y otros involucrados en el cuidado de los niños inmigrantes, a reconocer los efectos de la separación traumática en estos niños a diferentes edades.

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Gender differences in the mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors in Europe: a systematic review

Lea-Marie Mohwinkel, Anna Christina Nowak, Anne Kasper, Oliver Razum - BMJ Open, 30 Jul 2018

The aim of this study was to summarise the current evidence regarding gender differences in the mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors (URM) and to identify gaps in research.

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