Refugee Children - A Symposium

2014 saw the highest percentage of refugee children in a decade – 51%. In some countries of asylum, children make up over almost 70% of the population. As Syria enters its fourth year of conflict, over 2 million Syrian... [ view full abstract ]

2014 saw the highest percentage of refugee children in a decade – 51%. In some countries of asylum, children make up over almost 70% of the population. As Syria enters its fourth year of conflict, over 2 million Syrian children are refugees. Less than 1/3 of refugees are living in ‘traditional’ camp settings, but rather increasingly in urban settings. The current situation in Europe, with unprecedented numbers of children, including many unaccompanied children, and huge numbers of young people, also highlights the scale and complexity of the constellation of threats facing refugee children and young people. What is more, the average person who is a refugee will remain so for 17 years – an entire childhood for many.
In the face of new and changing dynamics, UNHCR and other agencies working to protect refugee children and young people are having to develop new and innovative approaches. The symposium on refugee children will focus on examining the impact of conflict on refugee children and young people, and on some of the ways in which communities, families, governments and agencies are trying to keep them safe. Particular focus will be given to some of the opportunities that are presented in refugee settings, not only to protect children and young people, but also to equip them with skills for the future that could contribute to peace building. The symposium will include speakers from UNHCR and from other agencies working with refugee children and young people, and will aim to provoke further thought and discussion on how work with refugee children fits in the broader picture of preventing and responding to conflict.