An estimated 17 million children across the globe, nearly one-third under the age of 5, were internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 2018, according to a new report from the International Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). They are among 41.3 million IDPs of all ages, obliged to leave their homes due to conflict or natural disasters without crossing an international border. More than 40 percent are displaced before the age of 18, IDMC estimates.

Despite the substantial number of child IDPs, identifying them is difficult, as they have been overlooked in traditional data-gathering on internal displacement. Moreover, providing services for the already marginal IDP population is challenging: In theory, national governments assume the primary responsibility for assisting displaced persons, with complementary support from international organizations. But in practice, state authorities are often absent from where IDP populations reside, especially in cases of armed conflict. For displaced children, a lack of state presence can mean substandard living conditions, limited access to education and health-care services, and social alienation.

Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia, Somalia, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Yemen, and Ethiopia top the list of countries with the largest displaced child populations. At a regional level, sub-Saharan Africa is home to most child IDPs, with an estimated 8.2 million.

Health-care access is one of the greatest challenges for displaced children. For example, in Burkina Faso, the International Rescue Committee warns that most of the 200,000 child IDPs are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and an increased risk of disease outbreak due to the lack of access to medical services.

Some governments are taking steps to bridge the health-care gap: Last week, the Somali government, in coordination with the UN Children’s Fund and World Health Organization, launched a measles and polio vaccination campaign for rural Somali children, targeting communities with high levels of IDPs. Because of their mobility, child IDPs are at increased risk for transmission of diseases.

Awareness of the plight of displaced children appears to be growing in some countries. Last week, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari called attention to child IDPs: “Most of the displaced children do not know their parents or where they come from. We have to look at the issue now; properly rehabilitate them, otherwise, we will have problem on our hands in the future.”

While the Nigerian president may be focused on the long-term effects for his country, the IDMC report offers a call to action on behalf of the children themselves, the most vulnerable amid a vulnerable population. “A child’s timeline is very distinct from that of an adult. Children know little except the present, but most of their life is yet to come. Child-centered interventions affect their lives and society for years and decades. This means that investing in protecting and supporting internally displaced children is one of the most beneficial investments we can make.”

Best regards,

Alexandra Vranas-Carita

Editor, Migration Information Source