The increasing number of crises brought about by natural disasters, armed conflicts, and violence, together with the slowdown in the global economy, resulted in a new high of more than 43 million children and young people in migration and displacement. During their journeys, access to essential needs, education, health, housing, and protection is put at risk, with girls disproportionately affected.

Results

In 2023, Tdh helped more than 520,000 children and young people in migration situations, and their families and communities, by providing appropriate and relevant life-changing information; improving their reception and protection on migration routes; smoothing their integration in host societies; and strengthening their right to access education, health and housing.

We made significant progress in forging strategic partnerships with key stakeholders and built a better understanding of the migration context to inform projects. Hence a rapid migration analysis tool was created to better understand the migration profile of each country, with teams in the field trained, and analyses conducted in Europe and Asia. A partnership with the Mixed Migration Centre in Africa was established to deliver several context analyses to inform more efficient and effective responses.

Our flagship project focusing on migration routes has taken off. It addresses gender inequality and social discrimination affecting children and young people migrating through West and North Africa through awareness-raising, protection, and education activities, and by bridging the gaps in data (see next page).

Our Resilience Innovation Facilities (RIFs) in Europe are spaces that promote young people’s interaction with the world of work through innovative creation and training. Child Advisory Boards giving feedback on its implementation have been created.

Outlook for 2024

Tdh’s priority in 2024 will be to reinforce knowledge management and learning, increase partnerships with academic partners, and link data collected in the field with research work. Through a nexus approach, we will strengthen the inclusion of emergency situations into our migration projects. Continuing the work conducted on children’s rights at the Global Refugee Forum, Tdh will focus on advocacy around migration issues and building relationships with, and the capacities of, local and national bodies and organizations working in these areas.

Refugees find their feet on new ground in Egypt

Egypt was greatly challenged by an influx of more than 400,000 people fleeing the conflict that erupted in Sudan in April 2023. Many of the new arrivals struggled to meet their basic needs, such as psychosocial support, health, housing, and access to income-generating opportunities. Tdh teams did their utmost to support them.

A young boy stands on stage looking out at the sea of faces before him. His sweaty hands clasp the certificates he’s about to hand out to his schoolmates. The boy inhales deeply and plants his feet firmly on the ground – a calming technique he learned a year ago, albeit in very different circumstances. Because while he is experiencing the normal nerves of a child facing a large audience now, it’s nothing compared to how he felt before.

Facilitating transformational recovery

While his family escaped war two years ago, many of their relatives were killed and the boy and his siblings were deeply traumatised and suffered post- traumatic stress disorder. But with the support of Tdh psychosocial specialist Sayeda El-Arshy, herself a refugee from Sudan, they underwent an inspiring transformation.

The first of the certificate recipients walk onto the stage – a friend from the boy’s class. They exchange grins and the friend whispers one of their inside jokes. The boy takes another deep breath to calm the giggles bubbling up.