Families Torn Apart: Protecting and caring for children separated from their families by the conflict in North-east Nigeria

Children’s experiences are different from those of adults and we believe that children are well placed to articulate their own needs and desires. As such this assessment, which is a part of Save the Children’s Protecting Children in Conflict (PCiC) centenary commitment, aims to better understand the vulnerabilities of unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) as voiced by the children themselves, as well as understanding what support services exist for the UASC and their carers.

It is worth noting that a desk review conducted prior to primary data collection found relatively recent data on topics such as Gender Based Violence (GBV), children’s involvement in non-state armed groups and to some extent psychosocial distress and mental health. As such, while these topics came up during the consultations, we chose not to actively probe into these areas to avoid assessment fatigue.

The narrative of this report is split into three sections aimed at a) giving an overview of the existing services and caseload of UASC in Borno state b) highlighting the voice of children, their concerns and who they go to for support and c) understanding the challenges that carers face and where they receive support from.