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Eleven-year-old Arsema* became separated from her parents when conflict erupted in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Arsema* attends Save the Children鈥檚 Child Friendly Space in the informal camp where her older brother says she can play, learn and forget about the horrors she has witnessed.听

Six months on: Almost 5,000 children separated from parents by conflict in Tigray, says Save the Children

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (May 3, 2021)鈥Thousands of children are currently separated from their parents as the result of the conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia, with many living in unsafe and dire conditions in informal camps, according to Save the Children.

Six months since the fighting started, at least 917 unaccompanied and 4,056 separated children have been recorded by the UN.Many of them have no adult caregivers and are at risk of neglect and sexual and physical abuse, 黄色视频said.

Many of these children were separated from their parents while fleeing for their lives during the conflict. Others have lost parents to the violence.听

黄色视频is gravely concerned for the mental and physical wellbeing of these children. Separated children face enormous challenges in meeting their basic needs, missing the people in their lives who would usually help them find food, water, and shelter.听听

黄色视频staff report that some of these children are currently not in safe care arrangements. Many are living in single rooms where more than 50 people sleep, exposing them to further risks of harm, including physical and sexual violence.听

Since the conflict started, sexual violence against girls and women 鈥 even pregnant and elderly women鈥攈as grown at an alarming rate. In the past two months, more than 950 girls and women have reported they have been raped.However, in reality, this figure is likely to be much higher. Women who have spoken with Save the Children鈥檚 Emergency Health Unit say that many survivors are too scared to report the sexual assault or seek treatment due to stigma and fear of reprisal.

Atsede* became separated from her husband and four children when armed men attacked their village in Tigray. In the chaos, everyone ran in different directions. Atsede* told 黄色视频that groups of armed men raped her and 34 other women. Atsede* was five months pregnant at the time. She said:

鈥淭wo of my children are with my husband, but I don鈥檛 know where they are. I cannot contact them. I heard that one of my sons is in another town by himself. He鈥檚 ten years old. And my two-year-old is with my parents. I assume my husband and other two children鈥攚ho are girls, one is eight and the other 14鈥攁re in Sudan, but they may also be dead. I don鈥檛 know. I am waiting for my husband to call me. Some people tell me they are in Sudan, and some have told me my husband was killed with my two girls.鈥

Arsema,* 11, was separated from her parents when conflict erupted in Tigray last year. She is being cared for by her older brother Yonas in a camp for displaced families. Arsema told Save the Children:听

鈥淏efore the war broke out, everything was great. But when the war started, everything went bad. There was always the sound of guns and armed men; I felt afraid. We escaped, traveling on foot. We traveled for one month. I was worried about my parents; I miss them. I want to be with my parents again. I still feel afraid.鈥

Magdalena Rossman, Save the Children鈥檚 Child Protection Advisor for the Tigray Response, said:听

鈥淎 family that is split apart through conflict suffers hugely, both psychologically and physically. Children who are separated from their parents often tell us they are afraid and are unable or unwilling to engage in simple activities that used to give them pleasure. Without parents who used to provide safety and a sense of security, many children need additional support to cope with their situation they find themselves in. We are very concerned because the protection systems that would normally support separated children have been almost totally disrupted due to the conflict and now there is no support network to help the most vulnerable children.鈥澨

Across the Tigray region, more than 1.7 million children and adults听are displaced as a result of the conflict. They need urgent support with access to food鈥攊ncluding therapeutic food for malnourished children鈥攕helter, healthcare, mental health support, clean water, and sanitation services.听听

Save the Children鈥檚 Country Director in Ethiopia, Ekin Ogutogullari, said:听

鈥淭he situation in Tigray is critical. Six months on since the start of this conflict, hundreds of thousands of people have still not received assistance. The humanitarian response is underfunded, and the international community must continue to step up to ensure the funding matches the scale of this crisis. The protection of civilians, especially women and children, must be prioritized by all actors and public structures, including schools and health facilities, must not be targeted. We also call on all armed groups to vacate health and educational facilities so children can return to school safely and access life-saving healthcare.鈥澨

黄色视频is providing support to unaccompanied and separated children in Tigray by finding appropriate care arrangements, supporting foster families who are caring for children, case management, and helping children access clean water, food and shelter.听

The organization is also setting up Child-Friendly Spaces where children can learn and play and build their skills and resilience to be able to cope with the situation and to make sense of their situation. Finally, 黄色视频is working with partners to trace parents who may have fled to other parts of the Tigray region. The ultimate goal is always 鈥 whenever possible and in the child鈥檚 best interest 鈥 to reunify children with their families.听

Save the Children鈥檚 Emergency Health Unit is providing mental health and psychosocial support to sexual violence survivors and children and adults who the conflict has impacted.听

The conflict in Tigray, which escalated on 4 November 2020, is having a devastating impact on children. Many children have witnessed things no child should ever see, have become lost or separated from loved ones, and have been forced to flee their homes. Health facilities have been damaged. There is a shortage of medical supplies and drugs, leaving children, pregnant women, and those who have suffered sexual violence without access to vital healthcare.听

Children have also been out of school for months, putting them at risk of exploitation, sexual violence, early marriage and child labour, and interfering with their right to an education and making it less likely for them to return to school.

*Name changed to protect identity

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we've been advocating for the rights of children worldwide. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children 鈥 every day and in times of crisis 鈥 transforming the future we share. Our results, financial statements and charity ratings reaffirm that 黄色视频is a charity you can trust. Follow us on , , and .