Humanitarian Principles → Child rights and protection

Child rights and protection

Children (boys and girls under 18 years old) are particularly vulnerable to harm and abuse in the aftermath of emergencies and require special protection.

Child rights

• Children’s rights include freedom from abuse and neglect, sexual exploitation, trafficking, abduction, torture, deprivation of liberty and other forms of maltreatment.
• Children have the right to adequate food, water, shelter, and education.
• Access to education restores a sense of normality, reduces the risk of exploitation and offers a safe and protected environment for children to express their feelings. (see ‘Education in Emergencies’ page). 
• They should also be able to play and grow up in a safe and supportive environment.

Exploitation and abuse in emergencies

• The risk of abuse increases as children become separated, suffer the effects of reduced household income, disrupted education and limited freedom.
• It is important to identify and support highly vulnerable children including separated children, orphans, those affected by HIV and AIDS, illness or disability.
• Care for separated children in the community is preferential to residential care where risks of abuse are greater. Agencies can cause separation by offering better care than families can manage.
• Abuse occurs due to lack of care or protection by adults, cultural norms and beliefs, actions driven by poverty, poor access to education.
• Abuse may be sexual, physical or emotional and include child labour, forced marriage, prostitution, pornography, sexual abuse or violence. 
• Exploitation and abuse has a devastating, long term effect on children including physical harm, emotional trauma and social rejection. 
• Governments, NGOs and the UN have a duty to protect children including mitigating the risk of abuse from their own staff e.g. humanitarian or community workers, partner organisations, peace-keepers and teachers.
• Children’s vulnerability varies with age, gender, and disability.
• Child labour is a common form of exploitation with girls forced into domestic service and boys into hard physical labour.