Global Humanitarian Relief Efforts for Children and Youth.

Abstract

The recent history of global humanitarian relief efforts for children and youth can be traced to the World Humanitarian Summit held in 2016. Convened in Istanbul, Turkey, by former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, this first-ever summit brought together over 9,000 participants, including 55 heads of state or government representing 180 member states. In launching new partnerships and commitments to action to advance their Agenda for Humanity 2016Agenda for HumanityWorld Humanitarian Summit.2016https://agendaforhumanity.org/summit.htmlGoogle Scholar, five core responsibilities were identified. Briefly stated, they are: (1) prevent and end conflict; (2) respect and protect civilians during hostilities or war; (3) leave no one behind, including the vulnerable, adolescents, and young people; (4) work differently to end need by anticipating crises; and (5) invest in humanity. More recently, in 2020, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Norwegian Refugee Council led a task force to create the document With Us & For Us: Working With and for Young People in Humanitarian and Protracted Crises (Inter-Agency Standing Committee 2020Inter-Agency Standing CommitteeWith us & for us: Working with and for young people in humanitarian and protracted crises.2020https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/system/files/2021-02/IASC%20Guidelines%20on%20Working% 20with%20and%20for%20Young%20People%20in%20 Humanitarian %20and% 20Protracted%20Crises_0.pdfGoogle Scholar). This guideline, which I encourage you to read, was developed with young people, including those with disabilities, who have been affected by humanitarian crises. Indeed, this landmark document has been described as a go-to guide for working with children and youth in natural disasters, conflicts, and forced displacement (Inter-Agency Standing Committee 2020Inter-Agency Standing CommitteeWith us & for us: Working with and for young people in humanitarian and protracted crises.2020https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/system/files/2021-02/IASC%20Guidelines%20on%20Working% 20with%20and%20for%20Young%20People%20in%20 Humanitarian %20and% 20Protracted%20Crises_0.pdfGoogle Scholar). Since the original summit only 6 years ago, we are now into our third year of a worldwide pandemic while also witnessing a ground war in Europe, which has brought about the highest level of human suffering since the Second World War. In Ukraine, a country that has experienced conflict over the past 8 years, there are 7.5 million children, of which 2 million have been forced to flee the country, and another 2.5 million are believed to have been internally displaced. These children and families are in desperate need of safety, stability, and protection. Such disruption because of armed conflicts and the atrocities of war affect the educational, emotional, and social development of young people, and women, girls, and youth with disabilities are disproportionately represented as victims of gender-based violence. Please do not call these children, youth, and young families resilient—an assumption in which I concur with Boyden and Boyden, 2003Boyden J. Children under fire: Challenging assumptions about children's resilience.Children, Youth, and Environments. 2003; 13: 1-29Google Scholar needs to be challenged because the protection of children is an uncertain business. These children are deeply traumatized. However, they should not be underestimated. In the development of With Us & For Us: Working With and for Young People in Humanitarian and Protracted Crises, UNICEF and the Norwegian Refugee Council were guided by the principles of accountability and inclusivity (Inter-Agency Standing Committee 2020Inter-Agency Standing CommitteeWith us & for us: Working with and for young people in humanitarian and protracted crises.2020https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/system/files/2021-02/IASC%20Guidelines%20on%20Working% 20with%20and%20for%20Young%20People%20in%20 Humanitarian %20and% 20Protracted%20Crises_0.pdfGoogle Scholar). Adolescents and youth were viewed as a vital, positive force in emergency preparedness and response, and their voice is evident throughout the document and the action plans described. Many of you have been involved in relief efforts either through your local communities or by contributions to reputable agencies such as UNICEF and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Neighboring countries and the United States and Canada are welcoming Ukrainian refugees, whereas so many of them say they would just like to go home. We know that our job as health care providers and as world citizens is to adopt an inclusive approach while continuing to raise awareness, mobilize assistance in any way that we can, and support some coherent response. We also know, all too well, that this will not be the last humanitarian crisis we encounter in our lifetime. Martha K. Swartz, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Pediatric Health Care, Yale School of Nursing, Yale University, West Haven, CT.