Hundreds of children in Greece are in desperate need of the warmth and safety of a family. Some of them have lost their own parents on treacherous migration routes to Europe, leaving them alone and vulnerable. A non-governmental organization, METAdrasi, runs a foster care program for these children so that they can stay in a secure and loving environment while they wait for family reunification with their relatives in other states of the EU.
Some 80 refugee kids in camps near Athens have taken part in a reforestation program on Mount Pentelis, one of Greece's most famous mountains.
An initiative by the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR and the European Union is providing a "Fun Bus" in Lebanon to offer children who are forced to work on the streets a safe place to play and learn.
A total of 10,787 unaccompanied foreign minors are currently residing in Italy, down from the 18,000 registered at the end of 2017, Unicef said. Overall, 3,536 minors travelled to Italy by sea on their own, the organization said. Thanks to its program in Italy, Unicef has supported 7,000 young migrants and refugees in 2018.
All kids have to go to school in Europe – including those of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. But the public school systems vary from country to country, and can be quite confusing. Here's a short overview.
Thousands of children from families with real or suspected links to IS militias are living in separate areas of refugee camps in northeastern Syria, Save the Children says. The aid organization says harsh winter conditions are putting the children at increased risk and has called on countries to 'take responsibility for their citizens'.
A total of four million refugee children around the world go without schooling, with numbers rising, according to a report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). It said girls are the most discriminated against.
Thousands of children in camps for refugees and displaced people in Syria and Lebanon are suffering because of the freezing temperatures and flooding that have recently hit the region. According to UNICEF, 15 children have died recently in those camps.
Unicef and the Lego Foundation have launched an initiative in Jordan to help young Syrian refugee children living in the country and local children. The goal: To help the youngsters learn through play, Lego brick by Lego brick.
The Council of Europe has released a child-friendly handbook on migration that provides guidelines for professionals working with migrant minors on how to give correct and age-appropriate information regarding their rights.
More than half of a group of 4,000 young migrants and refugees said they were forced to leave their country of origin, and 44% of them traveled alone, according to a new UNICEF survey.
The Italian Development Cooperation has launched a project designed to improve the lives of Syrian refugees in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. Targeting women and children in particular, the plan aims to empower and protect Syrian families and assist them with their economic empowerment as well.