In December 2016, UNICEF reported that an estimated 535 million children, a quarter of the world's children, lived in countries affected by conflict or disasters. Nearly 50 million have been forcibly displaced from their homes, increasing their vulnerability to exploitation and violence.
Children are the most vulnerable victims of conflict due to many factors. Besides being among the many civilian casualties during an armed conflict, children may be orphaned or separated from their families and become heads of households which leaves them vulnerable to forced labour, sexual exploitation or recruitment in armed forces.
