Men and Boys in Displacement: Assistance and Protection Challenges for Unaccompanied Boys and Men in Refugee Contexts

Refugee women and children face specific risks and their needs are, quite rightly, highlighted and addressed by the humanitarian community. However, the situation and specific needs of single male refugees is often less understood. This report aims to address this information gap. With a focus on the situation in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Greece, it aims to provide a better understanding of the gendered impact of the refugee crisis on unaccompanied adolescent boys, aged 13 to 17, and men, single or living separately from their families; and to highlight actual and potential gaps in the humanitarian response.

The report does not aim to compare the needs of refugee boys and men with that of refugee women and girls, or to downplay the specific risks faced by refugee women and girls. In exploring the situation, vulnerability and needs of unaccompanied male refugees, the report recognises the inter-connections and relations between different groups in crisis situations and crisis-affected communities, and argues that failing to address the needs of one group can have a direct, or indirect, negative impact on other groups.