They flee because they are in danger of being killed, tortured, forcibly recruited, raped, abducted or starved, and many other reasons. They leave behind their lives, their friends, property, social networks. Children are exposed to great danger during flight from their home, such as sudden attacks, shelling, snipers and landmines, and must often walk for days with only limited quantities of water and food. Under these conditions, children become malnourished and prone to illness and disease. Children who are forced to flee from their homes alone, must fight for their own survival and are at great risk.
Children travelling alone have no documentation and are easily recruited as soldiers.
Many children are separated from both parents and are not in the care of another adult. Parents and caregivers are the major source of a child's emotional and physical security and for this reason family separation can have a devastating social and psychological impact on the child. Unaccompanied children are at great risk of neglect, violence, military recruitment, sexual assault and other abuses. Many countries have no programs to help trace the relatives or families of these children. Because unaccompanied children lack proper documentation they will often not be able to enroll in a school or get help from health services.