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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When the Safety Net Fails: Children in West and Central Africa and the Risk of HIV Infection

Plan West Africa, 01 Mar 2009

Study investigating the psychosocial impact of different high risk situations in West and Central Africa such as trafficking, ethnic cleansing, armed conflict or parental loss.

Country Care Review: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Better Care Network, 10 Feb 2009

This country care review includes the care-related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Promoting Synergies between Child Protection and Social Protection: West and Central Africa

UNICEF Regional Office for West and Central Africa, 01 Feb 2009

Focuses on children’s vulnerabilities and risks related to an absence of protection from violence, abuse and neglect, and the ways in which measures to address such vulnerabilities and risks can be more effectively integrated into social protection policy frameworks in the West and Central Africa region.

Preventing violence through the development of safe, stable and nurturing relationships between children and their parents and caregivers

WHO and Liverpool John Moores University, 2009

This briefing looks at the effectiveness of interventions that encourage safe, stable and nurturing relationships for preventing child maltreatment and aggressive behaviour in childhood. The focus is on primary prevention programmes, those that are implemented early enough to avoid the development of violent behaviour such as child maltreatment and childhood aggression.

Violence prevention: the evidence

WHO and Liverpool John Moores University, 2009

This report brings together an eight-part series of briefings on the evidence for interventions to prevent interpersonal and self-directed violence. By spotlighting evidence for the effectiveness of interventions, the series provides clear directions for how violence prevention funders, policy makers and programme implementers can boost the impact of their violence prevention efforts.

ARC resource pack: Study material - Critical issue module 1: Abuse and exploitation

ARC, 2009

This module aims to provide guidance on essential aspects of child abuse and exploitation, highlighting the main forms of abuse and presenting some possible action against it.

ARC resource pack: Study material - Critical issue module 7: Children associated with armed forces or armed groups

ARC, 2009

This module aims to support the development of skills and knowledge in relation to emergency aspects of working with children affected by armed conflict, and to provide information and links for those who require more detailed resources and guidance.

UNHCR Guidelines on Determining the Best Interests of the Child

United Nations High Commission on Refugees, 01 May 2008

Provides a formal mechanism to determine the best interests of the child as a mechanism within a child protection system

Beyond men pikin: Improving Understanding of Post-Conflict Child Fostering in Sierra Leone

Lacey Andrews Gale, 27 Apr 2008

Examines the challenges posed in monitoring and ensuring child protection in informal and formal fostering in post-conflict areas.

FIELD Brief #3, Economic Strengthening for Vulnerable Children. Principles of Program Design & Technical Recommendations for Effective Interventions

Save the Children, 2008

A brief illustration of ten economic strengthening tools that can be adapted to address child vulnerability due to HIV/AIDS, conflict, natural disaster, extreme poverty, or other contexts.