Research on Young Children in Emergencies: Current Evidence and New Directions

In 2022, the Moving Minds Alliance brought together a global group of researchers investigating programs and policies for young children in emergencies to share their challenges and learnings with each other and the broader ECD in emergencies (ECDiE) community. The Research Forum on Young Children in Emergencies is working to amplify emerging research, create networking opportunities, and encourage researchers, donors, practitioners, and governments to develop a research agenda that can drive investment, quality programming, and improvements in outcomes for the youngest children affected by crisis and conflict.

This brief takes stock of the research on young children (from birth up to the age of primary school-entry) in emergencies to date, relying on four publications that have reviewed the available evidence within the past five years. Through this brief, we describe research efforts, discuss the opportunities and barriers to conducting research on young children in emergencies and identify what the Research Forum and those working with young children in emergency settings can do to develop a rigorous evidence base for supporting young children in conflict and crisis situations.