The chaos and confusion that follows sudden violence, natural disasters or forced displacement can tragically lead to the separation of families. In countries experiencing ongoing violence and conflict, devastatingly, children are torn away from their families and are often forced into armed groups.
Children can be separated for hours, days, months, even years. But no matter the length of time, every child separated from their loved ones feels extreme fear and suffers unimaginable stress and trauma, which have lasting effects on their mental and physical health. The longer they’re separated, the greater their risk of violence, exploitation, abuse and missed learning opportunities and proper health care.
In major humanitarian crises, such as the devastating conflict in Gaza, the surge in violence in Sudan, and the mass displacement of the Rohingya people, the number of children separated from their families is immense.
Family reunification is an important part of our work at UNICEF, but with the complexities of tracing families, especially during the immediate aftermath of an emergency, inter-agency cooperation is essential to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children while working to reunite children with their families.
Here are some of their stories.
Torn apart by the war in Sudan, a young boy longs to be with his family

The war in Sudan tore 13-year-old Ismail* from his family. Now living with a guardian at a camp for internally displaced people, Ismail longs to see his family again.
"What concerns me most is my family; I miss them so much. When I see them again, I will be very happy. I will hold them very tightly and cry with them."
Every day, Ismail attends a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space where he can learn, play football with other children, and feel safe again. Ismail meets with a social worker, and they speak about several issues, but all Ismail wants is to be back with his dad and family. During the ongoing conflict in Sudan, UNICEF continues to work to identify and document unaccompanied and separated children to support family reunification where possible or place them with foster families.
*Names have been changed or omitted to protect the identity of children separated from their families.
Forced to migrate to support his family, a father and son reunite in Afghanistan

Mohammed is reunited with his 13-year-old son, Ashraf*, at the UNICEF-supported transit centre in Afghanistan.
“There are seven members of our family, and I can’t work because I’m so frail, so I had to send Ashraf to Iran in the hope he could find work and support the family. This is the reality we face here. We don’t have oil, rice or flour - we have nothing so what can we do?”
Mohammed continues to explain, “Finally seeing my son again after such a long time is just amazing. I feel that he has been reborn. It’s like seeing him for the first day of his life, and I’m so happy to have him back. If this centre didn’t exist, I’d never see my son again.”
*Names have been changed or omitted to protect the identity of children separated from their families.
After deadly airstrikes, a mother is reunited with her daughters in Gaza

Nour reunites with her daughters
Nour, a divorced mother from the south of Gaza, was separated from her two daughters, 12-year-old Suad and 10-year-old Sewar. The sisters lived in the north with their father and extended family. Their home was bombed, tragically killing the entire family, including their father. Miraculously, Suad and Sewar survived, though both were injured. Sewar, despite her own injuries, helped rescue her sister, guiding the fire department to where Suad had been trapped under rubble for over two hours.
UNICEF estimates at least 17,000 children in the Gaza Strip are unaccompanied or separated from their families.
Nour, unaware of her daughters’ survival, was initially told they had died, causing immense grief, but later, she learned that her daughters were alive but injured. Determined to reunite with them, Nour reached out to UNICEF for assistance. Despite initial challenges and delays, Nour and her daughters were eventually reunited and now live together in a tent.
Parents reunite with their 11 children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

When Safari and his wife were away from their home working in the field, violence broke out. Their 17-year-old son, Leon*, fled the violence with his 10 brothers and sisters, seeking safety at a UNICEF-supported centre in a camp for displaced people.
Safari thought all his children had died. Only when he received a call from his son Leon, he was reassured that all 11 of them were safe. The family were reunited after six months of being apart.
*Names have been changed or omitted to protect the identity of children separated from their families.
Sisters separated from their family wait to be reunited with loved ones in Sudan

In Sudan, 15-year-old Aamira* and her sister were separated from their family after a neighbour's house was bombed, killing everyone inside. Amidst fear and panic, Aamira's family scattered in different directions. Unable to find one another, Aamira and her sister followed other people fleeing the violence.
They walked for four days with no shoes under a scorching sun until they reached a town where they were confronted by horrific scenes of what was remaining of a deadly attack. They continued their journey until they found a safe place with relatives and access to a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space, which provided Aamira and her sister with a sense of normalcy.
The sisters frequent the space, cherishing the opportunity to learn English and engage in sports. They also receive counselling sessions from a dedicated psychologist.
*Names have been changed or omitted to protect the identity of children separated from their families.
What role does UNICEF have in reuniting families?

It is extremely distressing and traumatic for children at any age to be separated from their families, especially during times of crisis. That’s why UNICEF works alongside our partners to reunite children with their families as quickly as possible and when it is safe to do so.
In 2023, over 250,000 children were provided with alternative care or reunification after being lost or separated from their families due to conflict or displacement.
In situations of emergency, UNICEF establishes locations where lost children can come, be identified and receive immediate care and safety.
As we work on gathering information so that we can trace family links and support the reunification process, children receive psychosocial support and other services necessary to ensure that they are healthy and safe from harm.

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