Adolescents can be a vulnerable group of people as they make the transition to being an adult. Adolescents are neither children or adults and as such existing health programmes often overlook them. This transition is made even harder for refugee adolescents because of their vulnerable situation, living in a new place, where they may have no family to give them support and guidance. Refugees may have experienced or witnessed violence and their health may have been compromised by poor living conditions, a lack of knowledge about where to go to seek help and the limited number of health workers able to provide adequate services. Food aid frequently neglects the special nutritional requirements of girls and women.
Health services are often inaccessible to women and adolescent refugees.
Family violence, including sexual abuse is prevalent. Safety while seeking water, animal feed and cooking fuel is often lacking. Rape, sexual harassment and obligation to grant sexual favours in return for documentation or goods is prevalent and can lead to forced prostitution. Sanitary protection and soap are often not available. They create posters, songs, poems and role-plays.