In the sixth installment of our blog series on 'Childhood and Migration,' Senper Elias Fisseha (Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia) discusses food distribution, academic performance, and susceptibility to child labour among refugees in Ethiopia.
Source: Wiki Commons
Ethiopia hosts over 972,000 refugees and asylum seekers from South Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea and is the third largest refugee-hosting country in Africa. Among the entire refugee population, 54% are under the age of 17 (UNHCR, 2024).[1] Presently, Ethiopia is facing a critical need for food assistance for over 20 million people, which includes internally displaced populations, among whom 7.4 million are children and women affected by conflict, political unrest, hunger, and economic challenges.[2] In the middle of humanitarian crises, refugee children encounter a web of challenges. Most of these challenges relate to the scarcity of resources, such as food. As of February 2024, it was reported that refugees were receiving only 60% of the minimum standard of 2,100 kilocalories per person per day due to funding shortfalls.[3] As a vulnerable group, one of the most pressing scarcities child refugees face is limited food distribution, which has far-reaching effects on their well-being, educational achievement, and susceptibility to child labour. The interconnections between the scarcity of food, education, and the welfare of children forcibly displaced present a complex web of challenges that demand attention and action.
According to reports, the nutrition status of children in refugee camps is significantly low, with a malnutrition rate of 50% among refugee children aged 6 to 59 months in Ethiopia (UNHCR nutrition fact sheet, 2023).[4] Moreover, according to the gap analysis for refugees by UNHCR (March 2024), over 200,000 refugee children in Ethiopia are at high risk for morbidity and contracting diseases due to malnutrition.[5] The food distribution rate, amount, and quality play a vital role in addressing the nutritional needs of young refugees, especially those living in camps or temporary settlements.
Studies indicate that adequate nutrition is fundamental for children’s overall development and growth, including their cognitive functioning and learning abilities. In the context of already delicate living conditions, malnutrition can lead to stunted growth, a weak immune system, and a wide range of health issues. Studies also show a connection between food insecurity and poor academic performance (Abafita, 2014; Habib et al., 2019). It is widely known that hunger or malnutrition can impede concentration, memory, and problem-solving skills. Therefore, ensuring sufficient and equitable food distribution channels is expected to bring support to the educational trajectories of young people living in refugee camps. The stress and anxiety associated with uncertain food supplies can also contribute to unstable psychosocial wellbeing which further enhances the vulnerability of these refugee children. Despite Mandre’s (2022)[6] study that highlights refugee children as tending to have better nutrition than the children in the host community, the scarcity of food distribution is significantly high in Ethiopia. This leads to a higher probability of exposing refugee children to farm labor, specifically girls (Abafita, 2014).[7] The same study also argues that households with food security exert a positive impact on children's schooling outcomes, especially for girls.
The need to supplement the family income and fulfill daily food intake often leads to young people engaging in hazardous and exploitative labor practices instead of pursuing their education which in turn affects the overall well-being and upbringing of these children. In agreement with this, a study by Habib et al. (2019) on Syrian refugee children in Lebanon pinpointed that this scarcity often leads to child labour.[8] Similar to other countries, it has also been observed in many refugee settings in Ethiopia that children are highly involved in mining, selling farm products, carrying bricks and other materials, and other forms of employment to make daily incomes and afford food. The current refugee proclamation in Ethiopia has a more rights-centered approach, particularly in terms of legal residency, freedom of movement, and employment (Woldetsadik, 2019).[9] However, the transition from school to further education and legal, age-appropriate employment for young refugees in Ethiopia is still challenging, with multiple barriers and limited support systems (Ziaian, 2019).[10]
In conclusion, the nexus between food distribution, education, and exposure to child labour among young refugees in Ethiopia presents a complex challenge that demands urgent action. The lack of sufficient food distribution heightens the malnutrition rate in Ethiopia’s refugee camps, resulting in distorted cognitive functioning, which limits the motivation to learn and contributes to poor academic performance. Additionally, the scarcity of food distribution transforms young people into family caretakers. This subsequently leads to young refugees engaging in hazardous and exploitative labor practices, which disrupts their overall well-being.
The cyclic and multifaceted impact of food scarcity within refugee communities demands a comprehensive response. Humanitarian organizations, government-based organizations (e.g., Refugee and Returnees Service (RRS), job creation organizations, vocational training centers, and all global stakeholders must prioritize addressing the nutritional needs of young people in refugee settings. One way to do so is through creating greater awareness of this issue through research. Studies aiming to identify the nutritional needs of young refugees, and employing mixed research approaches, would gain a more comprehensive understanding of the issue. Findings from such research could help develop sustainable solutions to ensure food security, inform policy, and design transforming programs to provide adequate nutrition for young people in refugee communities.
In studying the impact of food insecurity on young people’s lives, it is important to consider their perspectives and unique experiences of the challenges they face. An essential aspect of this is recognizing the role of young refugees as caregivers for their families and communities. This recognition would help programs provide supportive resources to empower these young caregivers while ensuring that child refugees have a safe childhood and access to education. However, the role of children as caregivers within refugee communities should not be considered a simplistic or acceptable outcome, as it can profoundly compromise their overall well-being, development, and safety. This reality must be thoroughly recognized and addressed, rather than normalized when examining the complex challenges faced by young refugees
Additionally, young people’s voices should be central in informing policies and interventions aimed at food distribution systems within refugee contexts. This can be achieved by employing participatory research methods, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews that incorporate their voices into the decision-making processes and better ensure that policies designed to help children in refugee camps do not inadvertently perpetuate their exploitation.
[1] See : https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/107313
[2] See: https://www.wfp.org/countries/ethiopia
[3] See: https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/106611
[4] See:https://reliefweb.int/report/ethiopia/unhcr-ethiopia-nutrition-factsheet-refugee-response-august-2023
[5] See: https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/107431
[6] Mandre J, Kaindi DWM, Kogi-Makau W. Nutrition Status of Refugee and Host-Country Children: Negotiating for Equal Distribution of Relief Food During Emergencies in Uganda. J Immigr Minor Health. 2022 Dec;24(6):1387-1397. doi: 10.1007/s10903-022-01354-4. Epub 2022 Mar 28. PMID: 35347536.
[7] Abafita, J., & Kim, K. (2014). Children’s Schooling in Rural Ethiopia: The Role of Household Food Security, Parental Education and Income. Journal of economics and sustainable development, 5, 19-32.
[8] Habib, R. R., Ziadee, M., Elio Abi Younes, Houda Harastani, Layal Hamdar, Jawad, M., & Khalil El Asmar. (2019). Displacement, deprivation and hard work among Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. BMJ Global Health, 4(1), e001122–e001122. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2018-001122
[9] Woldetsadik, T.K., Mulatu, F., & Edosa, J. (2019). Ethiopia's Refugee Policy Overhaul: Implications on the Out of Camp Regime and Rights to Residence, Movement and Engagement in Gainful Employment. GeographyRN: Settlement Geography (Topic).
[10] Ziaian T, Miller E, de Anstiss H, Puvimanasinghe T, Dollard M, Esterman A, Barrie H, Stewart-Jones T Refugee Youth and Transition to Further Education, Training, and Employment in Australia: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study JMIR Res Protoc 2019;8(7):e12632, URL: https://www.researchprotocols.org/2019/7/e12632 DOI: 10.2196/12632