The Political Economy of Children and Youth in East and Horn of Africa

Over the past years, the world has witnessed record levels of mixed migration, mainly originating from and hosted within developing countries. Individuals and families migrate for a variety of reasons, some choose to leave to seek education and employment opportunities or to escape poverty, while many are forced to leave their homes, fleeing natural disasters, conflicts, and violence, discrimination, or persecution. 70.8 million individuals were forcibly displaced in 2018, 52% of whom are children. Whatever the reason for their journey, migrating children – especially those traveling alone – find themselves extremely vulnerable to a variety of risks, including physical and sexual violence, exploitation and abuse.

In this context, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has collaborated with Save the Children (SCI) through a four- year programme, to build the protection and self-reliance of children and youth in vulnerable displacement situations along East African migration routes, starting with Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. In order to design evidence-based intervention, four regional research pieces were undertaken to inform programme development and design. The findings and conclusions served to support the development of relevant interventions along the route, ensuring that SCI’s activities will reach the most vulnerable children and youth and effectively strengthen their self-reliance and address acute protection needs.

The Political Economy Analysis examines formal political and economic structures as well as underlying interests, incentives and institutions that facilitate or challenge migration for children and young people through and to Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. The report looks at the underlying causes of migration for young people and children, exploring the complexity of a wide range of motivating factors at macro, meso, and micro levels of analysis. The study provides an overview of macro-level conflict-induced migration and well as more specifically, the violence against child along the route.

The publication is part of the series conducted simultaneously. It was spearheaded by Save the Children’s East and South Africa Regional Office, Regional Programme Unit, and supported by Save the Children International’s Migration and Displacement Initiative.