Desk review yemen

Unaccompanied and separated children

Overview/Issue

The ongoing conflict and population displacement is likely to cause separation of children from their parents and families, which exposes boys and girls to increase risk of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect. Unaccompanied and separated children are for example at increased risk of trafficking.

There is little data on unaccompanied and separated children, but different assessment indicate whether whole families fled or only women and children:

A rapid assessment carried out in Al Jawf reports that the approximately 1,250 families having entered the area were mainly comprised of women and children.⁸³

An assessment in Abyan showed that nearly 50% of the displaced left with the whole family. 45% of respondents said that women and children left, but some men stayed behind.⁸⁴

86.7% of respondents of a rapid assessment in Aden, fled their homes, of which 76.7% fled with the whole family. 10% of the respondents said that only women and children had fled.⁸⁵

An assessment in Amran showed that caregivers spoke about the unstable psychological status of children, due to, among other, the fear of losing their mother and father.⁸⁶