Migrant and refugee crisis

Updated 2 May 2024, What is the Rohingya crisis? , When hundreds of thousands of terrified Rohingya refugees began flooding onto the beaches and paddy fields of southern Bangladesh in August 2017, it was the children who caught many people’s attention. As the refugees – almost 60 per cent of whom were children – poured across the border from Myanmar into Bangladesh, they brought with them accounts…, How is the Rohingya crisis affecting children?, While basic services have been provided, children still face disease outbreaks, malnutrition, inadequate educational opportunities and the risks related to neglect, exploitation and violence including gender-based violence risks, child marriage and child labour. Meanwhile, annual cycles of heavy monsoon and cyclones pose substantial risks to both…, Crisis snapshot, What is UNICEF doing to help Rohingya children? , UNICEF has been on the ground in the refugee camps in Bangladesh from day one, and is still there for every Rohingya refugee child who needs clean water, health care, protection, nutritious food and education.  Working with the Government of Bangladesh and partners, UNICEF is helping provide water and sanitation, including the establishment of…, Recent Rohingya crisis news and features, What UNICEF is doing, Working with the government and partners, UNICEF is helping provide water and sanitation, including the establishment of diarrhoeal treatment centres, health services for children and pregnant women; support for access to quality education, including establishing learning centres; and is reaching children affected by violence, abuse and neglect…, Donate now to help save and change children’s lives, Results for Rohingya families in 2023, In 2022, UNICEF and partners:, More resources

ITURI, Democratic Republic of the Congo – When displaced families fled to Rhoe, in the northeast of Democratic Republic of the Congo, they were hoping to find shelter, safety and protection. Instead, they’ve been braving hellish conditions in a remote hilltop camp. The rapid growth of Rhoe camp, which housed as many as 75,000 people by December…

NEW YORK, 9 December 2021 – “UNICEF is concerned that reimplementation of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) at the U.S. southern border with Mexico, as required by court order, could put the safety and wellbeing of asylum-seeking children and their families at risk. “Following the initial implementation of MPP in January 2019, more than 70,…

Statement by Afshan Khan, Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe GENEVA, 26 November 2021 – “I am shocked by the news of the recent shipwreck off the French coast, which claimed the lives of at least 27 people, including children and a pregnant woman. “This tragedy – the deadliest on record along the English Channel –…

The climate is changing everywhere, and uprooted children and young people – whether living in protracted displacement, refugee camps, urban slums or booming mega cities – are among the most exposed to its impacts. Millions of children around the world are on the move, driven from their homes by weather-related events, exacerbated by climate…, What’s at stake?, Climate change is already a direct challenge to children’s rights and well-being. One billion children – nearly half of children globally – are at ‘extremely high risk’ of its impacts . They face a deadly combination of exposure to multiple climate shocks and limited access to services that build their resilience. Three-year-olds today face a…, Mobility – a consequence and a coping strategy, It’s already clear that even with major progress to mitigate the impacts of climate change, migration will continue to be an adaptation strategy, particularly for young people. This is especially the case where climate change impedes economic opportunities and interacts with conflict and fragility. For young people in particular, migration can…, Children and young people as agents for change, Having adapted to climate change themselves, young people uprooted in the context of climate change have critical skills, experience and ideas needed by societies everywhere. They can play a key role in addressing climate-related risks by exercising their views, opinions and concerns, identifying and working on solutions, and promoting…, Call to action on climate mobility, Our success in empowering young people will depend on the choices we make today and in the coming years. Policy choices, and investment choices. The window to prepare for the impacts of climate change is closing quickly, but prioritizing the following urgent actions – developed with and for young people – could lead to better outcomes for children…, Resources, Guiding Principles for Children on the Move in the Context of Climate Change Children’s Climate Risk Index Futures at Risk – Protecting the Rights of Children on the Move in a Changing Climate Climate Mobility and Children: A Virtual Symposium Children Uprooted in the Caribbean

Climate change is already a direct challenge to children’s rights and well-being. One billion children – nearly half of children globally – are at ‘extremely high risk’ of its impacts . They face a deadly combination of exposure to multiple climate shocks and limited access to services that build their resilience. The climate is changing…

TRIPOLI, 12 October 2021 - The safety and wellbeing of at least 1,000 women and children – including five unaccompanied children and at least 30 infants – held in detention centres in Tripoli, Libya, is at immediate risk, UNICEF warned today. Around 751 women and 255 children were among the thousands of migrants and asylum seekers caught up in…

At the beginning of 2020, UNHCR and UNICEF agreed on an ambitious Blueprint for Joint Action. This initiative represents a bold step towards realizing both agencies’ joint Global Refugee Forum (GRC) pledge to stand by refugees and work with governments to ensure the inclusion of refugee children and their families in national systems and plans.…

GENEVA, 30 September 2021 - The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) call on states to refrain from expelling Haitians without proper assessment of their individual protection needs, to uphold the fundamental human rights of…

NEW YORK/PORT-AU-PRINCE/MEXICO CITY, 23 September 2021 – UNICEF is concerned about the situation of Haitian families being expelled from the United States border to Haiti. According to UNICEF initial estimates, over 2 in 3 Haitian migrants who have been returned to Port-au-Prince are women and children. Some of them are newborn babies, with…

The rising number of forcibly displaced persons (FDPs) and the growing duration of displacement have made building economic resilience a priority, particularly for young people. By 2019, the global population of FDPs had doubled to 80 million. The majority of FDPs (86 per cent) live in low- or middle-income countries where host communities are…

Executive Summary of a UNICEF report, ‘Unlocking the Power of Digital Technologies to Support “Learning to Earning” for Displaced Youth’.