Refugee Crisis Explained: Why Millions of Children Are Affected & How to Help
The refugee crisis is the global displacement of millions of people forced to flee their homes due to conflict, violence or persecution. According to UNHCR, 36.4 million of the world's forcibly displaced people are refugees.
More than 40% of refugees worldwide are children, meaning millions are growing up without consistent access to education, healthcare, or safe environments during critical stages of development. The combination of insecurity, crowded settlements and limited services means many displaced children live without the protective environments they need to grow, learn and thrive.
Your support helps Save the Children deliver immediate relief and long-term support to refugee children affected by conflict and displacement.
42.5 Million
Refugees living outside their countries in search of safety
71%
Refugees hosted by low- and middle-income countries
2/3
Just four countries account for nearly two-thirds of the world's refugees
What Happens When You Become a Refugee
A young girl displaced by conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sits inside a refugee shelter in Uganda after fleeing her home with her mother.
Eunice and her family were attacked in the night and were forced to flee their home in the DRC with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
"We fled to the forest, where we remained for two days before returning home. We ran and fled, but when we saw there was no peace, we were naked, hungry, and decided to seek refuge where we could be helped and fed. That’s how we ended up fleeing here."
Eunice and her four children reached the Ugandan border and made their way to the Transit Centre, which registers refugee arrivals.
At the Transit Centre, Save the Children runs a Child Friendly Space, a place for children to play and to begin to deal with some of what they’ve been through.
Eunice and her family relocated to a refugee settlement after two weeks at the transit center. Her daughter Amhale looks forward to the future. “I think [the camp] will be good. I will go to school. If we find a place to bounce a ball, we’ll play.”
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What is a refugee?
A refugee is a person who is seeking a safe haven after being forced to flee violence, persecution or war.
Refugees are defined and protected in international law. And seeking asylum is not a crime. While every refugee is initially an asylum seeker, not every asylum seeker will ultimately be recognized as a refugee.
Many refugees around the world live in vulnerable conditions, including refugee camps, informal settlements and on the streets. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread globally, many refugees were not in a position to social distance themselves or maintain basic hygiene, including simply washing their hands.
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Ukraine war and other conflicts has pushed the number of people forced to flee conflict, violence and persecution to over 100 million for the first time in history — a record that "should never have been set." Among them are refugees, asylum seekers, and people displaced inside their own countries.
Why do people become refugees?
People become refugees for a number of different reasons; including:
- Persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion
- War
- Ethnic or political violence
For well over a decade, the number of people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution has steadily increased. In 2012, these numbers spiked, resulting in what is now recognized as a global refugee crisis.
Several major crises around the world have contributed to the rising number of refugees, including:
- The on-going conflict in Syria, now in its 11th year.
- The conflict in Afghanistan—where most unaccompanied children in Europe are from—remains among the deadliest for children.
- South Sudan’s displacement crisis, which followed its independence.
- The rapidly escalating violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2017, which forced over half a million ethnic Rohingya to flee the country for their lives.
What are refugee camps and why are they created?
Refugee camps are temporary settlements created to provide refugees with immediate aid and protection.
Forced from home, refugees are often left with little to call their own. Lacking food, clean water, clothing and proper hygiene supplies, refugee children and their families are vulnerable to disease, abuse and worse.
There are refugee camps all over the world. Some of the largest refugee camps in the world include:
- Bangladesh
- Uganda
- Kenya
- Jordan
- Tanzania
- Ethiopia
What is the difference between a refugee, asylum seeker, migrant and immigrant?
Refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and immigrants are all terms used to describe people on the move, including children.
Refugees are people who are seeking a safe haven after being forced to flee violence, persecution or war.
Similar to a refugee, an asylum seeker is someone who may be in search of protection due to dangers in his or her home country. While every refugee is initially an asylum seeker, not every asylum seeker will ultimately be recognized as a refugee.
Traditionally, a migrant is considered a person who has left their home by choice and in search of a better opportunity. Because conflict or persecution did not force them from home, a migrant is not considered a refugee or asylum seeker.
A person who comes to a country with the intention of taking up permanent residence is called an immigrant.
How many child refugees are there in the world
Half of the global refugee population, nearly 13 million, are children below the age of 18.
Far too many refugee boys and girls are living in conditions not suitable for children, with limited access to education and healthcare, no freedom of movement, and almost entirely dependent on aid.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was estimated that half of all refugee children in the world – 3.7 million – were out of school.
What do refugees do?
Refugees' lives have been thrown into a state of chaos because of what they experienced in their home countries prior to displacement, as well as on their journeys to find safety.
Like anyone, refugees need food, shelter and the opportunity to thrive. But after leaving everything behind and without livelihood opportunities to earn an income, many refugees struggle to survive.
With the generous support of our donors, Save the Children is able to provide refugee children and their families with essential items and relief.