Child Protection Syrian Arab Republic Project #21637

Child Refugee Crisis

by Save the Children Federation

Project Report | Jan 5, 2026
Risks of Abuse, Death for Rohingya Children on Dangerous Boat Journeys

By Save the Children Federation, Inc. | Save the Children Federation, Inc.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 11, 2025)—Twenty-one people, including two teenage girls,[1] have been confirmed dead after a boat carrying dozens of Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar's impoverished Rakhine state sank in the Andaman Sea near the Thai-Malaysian border.

As the rainy season in the region comes to an end, more Rohingya families are contemplating whether to leave Myanmar and Bangladesh and brave dangerous boat journeys in search of a better life. These risky journeys put them at the mercy of smugglers and traffickers using often unseaworthy boats.

Arshad Malik, Asia Regional Director, Save the Children, said:

"The decision to board these boats is not one that Rohingya families take lightly. There are many push factors including unsafe conditions, lack of work and the prospect of a bleak future. The decision to board these death boats in search of a better life comes with the knowledge that these journeys are fraught with danger and that they may never reach their intended destination.

"Rohingya children who board these boats risk abuse at sea and often travel unaccompanied without their parents or guardians. Some, as we are unfortunately seeing again now, end up dead.

"Regional cooperation and responsibility-sharing are essential to prevent further loss of life and protect vulnerable Rohingya children and families."

Save the Children commends local communities in Malaysia and authorities for their life-saving efforts and calls on all regional governments to allow boats to safely disembark and to provide assistance and protection to refugees.

The latest boat incident took place as conditions for children in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar—the world's largest refugee camp and home to more than 1 million Rohingya refugees—continue to deteriorate and funding cuts reduce essential services, forcing some Rohingya families to choose to make often perilous journeys by sea in search of better lives.

Since fleeing violence in Myanmar more than eight years ago, Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar are stateless and live in often overcrowded conditions. Refugees are almost entirely dependent on humanitarian aid to survive.

About 1,088 Rohingya refugees embarked on sea journeys from Bangladesh during the first six months of this year, with around 87 of them children, compared to 364 people during the same period last year.[2]

Links:

Risks of Abuse, Death for Rohingya Children on Dangerous Boat Jo

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Sep 9, 2025
30K Children Displaced by Fighting in Mozambique

By Save the Children | Save the Children

MAPUTO, (August 08, 2025) – More than 30,000 children, including some separated from their families, have fled a new wave of violence in Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique in the past two weeks, one of the highest numbers uprooted in such a short period, Save the Children said.

Escalating attacks that began on July 20 have displaced nearly 60,000 people in the province, half of whom are believed to be children, with numbers expected to continue to rise, according to the latest data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Chiúre District in Cabo Delgado was the hardest hit by violence from non-state armed groups, causing widespread fear and displacement. Armed groups targeted homes, police stations, schools, and health centers across several villages in the province, with reports of looting medical supplies.

Many displaced families are sheltering in schools or with host families. The risk of overcrowding, limited access to basic services, and rising protection concerns are increasing daily in these temporary shelters.

Displaced children, especially those who are separated from their parents or guardians, are at heightened risk of violence, exploitation, abuse, child marriage and recruitment into non-state armed groups.

Save the Children is in Cabo Delgado, providing mental health and psychosocial support, safe spaces for children to play and learn, family tracing and reunification for separated children, and malnutrition screenings for children and adolescent mothers.

Ilaria Manunza, Save the Children's Country Director in Mozambique, said: "We are witnessing a harrowing situation on the ground where the needs of children are far outpacing the available resources. The distress these children have endured is unimaginable.

"We are working around the clock to provide them with a safe space, food, and medical attention, but as more families arrive every day, urgent support from the international community is required. Separated children are particularly vulnerable, and our teams are doing all they can to identify them and reunify them with their families as quickly as possible.

"These latest attacks represent a major setback in efforts to rebuild the lives of children and families in Cabo Delgado who have had to live through conflict for the past eight years. This conflict must end immediately so these children can have their childhoods back."

Now in its eighth year with no immediate end in sight, the conflict in Cabo Delgado has taken a devastating toll on children growing up in the province. There are repeated reports of beheadings and abductions, including multiple child victims, in the province.

The ongoing conflicts have led to large-scale displacement, coupled with weakened infrastructure, making it difficult to access basic services like water, education, sanitation, and healthcare. Malnutrition is also a significant concern, with many children experiencing food insecurity.

Save the Children has been working in Mozambique since 1986, providing support to children through our development and humanitarian programs. The charity works with communities, local partners, and the government to design and deliver programs to meet the needs of the most deprived children. We also advocate for greater investment of public and private resources for children.

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May 21, 2025
Sudan Refugee Crisis: Two Years On

By Save the Children | Save the Children

PORT SUDAN, (April 15, 2025) – One child every 10 seconds on average has been forced to flee their homes since the conflict began in Sudan two years ago, according to new analysis from Save the Children.

Sudan was already facing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises before conflict erupted in the capital, Khartoum, in April 2023, and the country is now facing the largest child displacement crisis globally, with over 6.5 million children uprooted from their homes.^{[1] [2]} More than 12.6 million people are currently displaced by the conflict in Sudan – or one in three people.^[3]

To mark two years of the conflict, Save the Children commissioned Sudanese illustrator Shiroug Idris – who was herself displaced by the conflict - to highlight the impact of conflict on children's lives.

Shiroug was herself forced to flee her home in Khartoum in 2023 and is now living more than 300 miles (500 km) away in Kassala in eastern Sudan. She travelled to Gedaref with Save the Children to see the organization's work and ran a drawing workshop with children to let them tell their own stories of the conflict.

"As someone who was forced to flee this terrible conflict, it is heartbreaking to witness what these children are going through. Millions have been displaced, forced from their homes, and robbed of the childhood every child deserves," Shiroug said.

"Through my drawings, I hope to make the world more aware of the atrocities unfolding in Sudan and the devastating impact on children's lives. Governments around the world must do more to recognize this crisis and put an end to the suffering."

One of the children working with Shiroug was Fatima*, 11, who was forced to flee her home in Al Jazirah state in east-central Sudan following violent clashes in which a bullet fired through one of the windows of their home.

Fatima* and her family escaped to a nearby village, but soldiers came to their house and threatened to kill them. Her family moved through multiple villages, facing violence, extortion, and hardship before reaching a camp in Gedaref Save the Children provided her family with food, blankets, mattresses, clothes, including pajamas and slippers.

"I was scared that we would be killed, but my mum reassured me. When we arrived in Gedaref, I was happy because there were no sounds of fighting, just peace," Fatima* said.

Fatima* now attends school and a child-friendly space, where she takes part in activities such as art, sports, and structured play, to help process her trauma, build resilience, and regain her confidence.

Her message to other children in Sudan is: "Don't be afraid; we will go back home, just like others have."

In the chaos and violence in the past two years, in which an estimated 28,700 people have been killed, many children have been separated from their families, putting them at higher risk of being attacked or exploited.

Over 2,686 child rights violations have been reported in the past year to Save the Children alone, the majority involving the killing and maiming of children, child recruitment and sexual violence against children.

Mariam*, 14, was captured and raped by a group of armed men along with a friend who later died from her injuries. Mariam survived but became pregnant.

Upon learning of her pregnancy, her family forced her to move out of her home, and Mariam gave birth in unclean, unsupported conditions. Her newborn daughter became sick and died.

When Save the Children became aware of Mariam's situation, the organization supported her with health and psychological care and then worked closely with her family, helping them to understand why their daughter was not to blame. Today, she is back with her family, with ongoing support from Save the Children, for her continued well-being.

Mohamad Abdiladif, the Country Director for Save the Children Sudan, said:

"For two years, conflict and widespread violence in Sudan have caused immense suffering for children. This has become the world's largest displacement crisis for children, but despite the urgent need, the crisis in Sudan remains largely underreported, and the world is not taking notice."

"When people are forced to flee their homes due to violence, it's usually the women and children who go first – and we often see displacement camps filled with children. But the number of children displaced in Sudan – and their young age and vulnerability – is staggering. The world has a duty of care for children, and we are failing them."

Save the Children is urgently calling on the international community to take meaningful and urgent political action to address this crisis, for an immediate ceasefire and progress towards a lasting peace agreement.

Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983 and provides programming for children and families affected by conflict, displacement, extreme poverty and hunger.

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NOTES:
[1] Snapshot was taken on March 17 2025 and may include people who have since returned to their place of origin. Data from https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/sudansituation and https://dtm.iom.int/reports/dtm-sudan-mobility-update-15

[2] https://dtm.iom.int/reports/dtm-sudan-mobility-update-15
Calculations: Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Sudan: 8,856,313 (IOM, OCHA - February 2025). Over half (53%) of IDPs were reportedly children under the age of 18-years-old (IOM); IDPs who are under 18: 4,693,845 (IOM); Total newly arrived refugees/asylum seekers: 3,772,215 (UNHCR, IOM & Governments - December 2024). IDPs who are under 18: 4,693,845 + Total newly arrived refugees/asylum seekers under 18 outside Sudan: 1,888,270 = 6,582,115 (This reflects data recorded since the commencement of the conflict in April 2023.)

6,582,115 ÷ 731 (number of days from the last two years) = 9,004 every day
9,004 ÷ 24 (hours in a day) = 375 every hour
375 ÷ 60 (minutes in an hour) = 6.25 every minute = One every 10 seconds
[3] https://www.unrefugees.org/news/sudan-crisis-explained/

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