Lost at Home: The Risks and Challenges for Internally Displaced Children and the Urgent Actions Needed to Protect Them
2020
This report published by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) provides data on global internal displacement, specifically focusing on how it affects the lives and health of children and their families. UNICEF reports that at the end of 2019, 46 million people – 19 million of which were children – were internally displaced by conflict and violence. Children are the most vulnerable, as they are threatened by abuse, violence, and exploitation as families are separated, their educational progress is disrupted, and their access to safe housing, clean water and sanitation, and health care becomes limited. The millions of internally displaced children around the world show that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for leaving no one behind is being challenged, and the report urges that a collective global active response is necessary to address and legally protect children living in internal displacement. The report also emphasizes that children’s voices must be included as active participants in developing the policies and programs to uphold their protective rights to safety and security. Lost at Home provides an overview of trends and patterns of displacement, the major issues associated with living in displacement, how governments and partnerships are working to protect rights of children and families, and recommendations for moving forwards and committing to achieving the SDGs.
Source:
Lost at Home: The Risks and Challenges for Internally Displaced Children and the Urgent Actions Needed to Protect Them. United Nations Children’s Fund 2020. https://data.unicef.org/resources/lost-at-home-risks-faced-by-internally-displaced-children.