Children face highest displacement rate since WW2: UNESCO

Natural disasters, violent conflicts, climate change, and other crises destroy the livelihoods of whole populations. Children, in particular, can face grave risks to their well-being and safety.

Ahead of World Refugee Day, UNICEF estimated in a report that 36.5 million children were displaced from their homes at the end of 2021 – the highest number recorded since the Second World War – including 13.7 million refugee and asylum-seeking children and nearly 22.8 million children who are internally displaced due to conflict and violence. Children displaced by environmental disasters were not included in the estimated number. 

Crises like war and extreme weather events have led hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied or separated children to be exposed to high risks of trafficking, exploitation, violence and abuse, UNICEF said, adding that approximately 34 percent of detected trafficking victims worldwide are children.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the mental health and well-being of refugee children are negatively influenced by socioeconomic deprivation, racism, and frequent school changes. Children who have been separated from their parents are at heightened risk of developing depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, personality disorders, unstable behavior, and substance abuse.

For its part, UNHCR’s Child Protection programming aids refugee children by providing them with suitable psychological support, including individual, family and group-based interventions. Refugee parents receive information on children’s mental health and well-being and have the opportunity to discuss their children’s and their own emotions and behavior in emergencies.

UNICEF calls on Member States to monitor the true issues facing migrant children and to abide by their commitments, including those established under the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the Global Compact for Migration (GCM). 

It also calls on governments to achieve equal rights for all displaced children by providing equal support and protection, ensuring their access to essential services, and empowering immigrant children.