Mapping Children on the Move within Africa In Central Africa and the Great Lakes region, the number of children on the move in the region has been steadily increasing in the last years as a result of conflict in the country or the region. Figure 5 shows the number of effected children in different countries. These include internally displaced children and refugees (including from neighboring countries). Source: UNHCR data set figures include children aged 0-17 years. Conflicts continue to be a driving force behind the movement of children, especially from rural areas, in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Protracted conflicts within countries in the region are driving large numbers of children to move within or across borders in search of safety, either with their families or alone160. For instance, recent events in the Ituri region in Northern DRC alone have pushed an estimated 90 000 children to move; of which 66 000 moved within the Congolese border to neighboring towns and about 25 000 to Uganda.161 In Burundi between 2015 when the political instablity, insecurity and deteriorating economic condition ensued and October 2017 about 427,784 Burundian refugees were hosted in DRC, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.162 Of this, about 230,000 are children which represents about 54 percent of the refugees.163 Children, indeed, continue to constitute an important age group in forced migration and displacements in the region (see Figure 6). Faced by the lack of opportunities within their countries due to protracted conflicts, some children migrate, accompanied or unaccompanied, further south (mainly to South Africa) in search of a better life or education. 160 161 162 163 Large numbers of children are moving alone. In October 2017 for instance, UNHCR estimated that of the 5000 Congolese refugees who have crossed in Zambia’s Kenani transit center, 60% were unaccompanied and separated children. Unaccompanied children had fled after their parents were killed during attacks on their villages. Often, it is an older sibling, often a teenager him/herself who travel with their younger siblings. See UNHCR. Unaccompanied and separated Congolese children – a worry for UNHCR. 26 October 2017. Last accessed: 29 May 2018. http://www.unhcr.org/afr/news/stories/2017/10/59f1d1764/ unaccompanied-and-separated-congolese-children-a-worry-for-unhcr.html UNICEF. 2018. RDC : au moins 90.000 enfants déplacés ou réfugiés par les violences dans l’Ituri (UNICEF). Last accessed: 29 May 2018. https://news.un.org/fr/story/2018/02/1006561 ReliefWeb, Burundi Situation: Regional Inter Agency Plan of Action for the Protection of Refugee Children (January - December 2018), https://reliefweb.int/report/united-republic-tanzania/burundi-situationregional-inter-agency-plan-action-protection accessed on 9 November 2018. As above. 43