“Early intervention with children facing crisis situations is essential to guarantee them the best possible development”

37 million. It is the number ofdisplaced children around the world, and that’s a record. One in four children evolves in a context of crisis. Almost a billion children face an “extremely high” risk of suffering the severe consequences of the climate crisis, according to UNICEF. These figures are not projections, but a very current, factual and concrete reality which, in the absence of adequate action, can only worsen.

The protection of children’s rights and their well-being has continued to gain importance in public policies in France in recent years. We are witnessing a proliferation of political initiatives in favor of children, such as the creation of the first State secretariat devoted to children, the structuring of an interministerial committee for children or even the formation of a parliamentary delegation focused on children’s rights.

One million new connections per second

As an international network committed to the promotion of early childhood development (ECD) in the context of crisis and displacement, we welcome the momentum taken by the government and the legislator to strengthen the actions of the State for the benefit of the child protection.

We nevertheless invite the public authorities to go further, and call for a standardization of this protection at domestic and international levels, in the name of the effectiveness of child aid. The first years of a child’s life are crucial for their future. Between the ages of zero and three, the child’s brain is growing faster than at any age, forming up to a million new connections per second, and by age five the brain is typically 90% its adult size.

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Many studies show that the effects of crises or prolonged conflicts occurring during this fundamental period for the child can alter his brain development. In the long term, this can have a dramatic impact on the child’s health, learning or behavior.

These consequences in turn expose the child to entering a vicious circle of instability and poverty which might not only limit their individual prospects, but also affect their community of belonging in terms of social cohesion, resilience and stability. ‘equity. It is therefore critical to pay particular attention to young children in order to mitigate the repercussions of the crisis situations in which they evolve on their development and to prevent them from becoming more complex.

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