A Generation of Lost Children: 28 Million Refugee Kids Need Help

Twenty-eight million children have been uprooted from their homes due to global conflict, according to a new UNICEF report. 

The report, called "Uprooted: The Growing Crisis for Refugee and Migrant Children," found that although children make up one-third of the world's population, they represent nearly half of all refugees.

"What's important is that these children on the move are children. And they should be treated as children," said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF's director of programs in Geneva. "They deserve to be protected. They need access to services, such as education."

The report noted that 45 percent of children refugees came from either Syria or Afghanistan. 

There are 17 million children displaced within their own countries, while 10 million child refugees and 1 million asylum seekers remain in a sort of limbo as their status has not yet been determined in other countries.

According to the report, more than 100,000 unaccompanied minors have applied for asylum in 78 countries in 2015.

These children are often forced to travel alone, making them especially vulnerable to starvation, rape, and murder.

"The world hears the stories of child refugees one child at a time and the world is able to bring support to that child. But when we talk about millions it provokes incredible outrage and underscores the need to address the growing problem," Emily Garin, the report's author, said.

The report calls on the global community to provide protection, education, and health services to these children.