Children on the move 

Refugee & Migrant Crisis

Children on the move  

50 Million Children with Nowhere to Call Home

That’s ten times the population of Ireland – more than at any other time in history. It is a crisis of global proportions and it is destroying children’s lives.

Refugee and migrant children are among the most vulnerable of all children. Fleeing truly dreadful circumstances; poverty, violence, exploitation, natural disaster and war, these children face terrible dangers in their desperate scramble to safety.

Many of these children are alone. They are frightened, exhausted and desperate. Many are hungry, cold and scared for their lives.

…from Syria

a man carrying a child in a suitcase walks towards Hamourieh where an evacuation exit from eastern Ghouta has been opened.

In Eastern Ghouta, Syria, a man walks towards an evacuation point carrying his child in a suitcase.

The Syrian refugee emergency remains one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, with 5.4 million registered refugees, including over 2.4 million children (more than twice the number of children in Ireland), living in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt.

Children fleeing the violence need urgent support like access to food, water and safe shelter.

…from Iraq to Greece…

hugs his daughters –30-month-old Safia and 4-year-old Sidra (crying) upon reaching shore, near the village of Skala Eressos, on the island of Lesbos, in the North Aegean region

 

Mohammad hugs his daughters, two and a half year old Safia and 4-year-old Sidra upon finally reaching dry land on the island of Lesbos. The family fled Iraq after their home was destroyed. “I want to provide for my children, and educate them,” he says, breaking down in tears.

Parents struggling to care for their children on dangerous journeys to safety need basic supplies like food, water and hygiene kits containing soap and toothpaste.

… from Venezuela to Peru…

A group of migrants are walking carrying children

Hundreds of Venezuelan migrants wait in line for a free lunch, provided in a soccer field in La Parada, Cucuta, near the border with Venezuela.

Every day, many children are being separated from their families and are being exposed to violence and abuse, including trafficking, sexual exploitation, and the worst forms of child labour.

These children need protection, food, water and a safe place to sleep at night on every step of their journey.

…from Nigeria to Libya

A young boy looks out from behind the bars of a cell at a migrant detention centre in Libya.

A young boy looks out from behind the bars of a cell at a migrant detention centre in Libya.

Refugee and migrant children are routinely suffering sexual violence, exploitation, abuse and detention along the Central Mediterranean migration route from North Africa to Italy.  More than one child dies every day.

Donate Now

Migrant and refugee children are among the most vulnerable children of all. They need your help to survive their escape to freedom.

Children on the move need your help every step of the way.

Please support them.

Help protect children
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