Children in Crisis

Founded: 2019
Faculty Lead: Michelle Niescierenko, MD, MPH
Status: Active Program
Regions of Focus: Liberia, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Occupied Palestinian Territories, South Sudan

Description

Background

The Children in Crisis (CiC) Program seeks to address the health needs of children in humanitarian contexts. Over 400 million, or approximately one in six, children live in conflict zones. Nearly 37 million children are displaced due to conflict, poverty, or natural disasters. These children face disproportionate risks that have significant impacts on their ability to attain the highest level of health possible. In conflict settings, they are particularly vulnerable to harm from the loss of caregivers, disruption of social systems, direct violence, and limited access to pediatric health services. Understanding and responding to the unique needs of children in these environments is crucial to supporting children’s right to health and to prevent, mitigate, and address detrimental health consequences.

Program Mission

The CiC program partners with non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, donors, governments, and academic institutions to provide technical expertise and implementation support to address pediatric health needs in humanitarian contexts. By working collaboratively with partner organizations and communities, we help to define both immediate and long-term needs of affected populations, guide program development and implementation, and strengthen national and international resilience strategies. Our focus is on delivering targeted, effective, and sustainable interventions in collaboration with communities and partners.

Featured Projects

• Ethiopia: To address the unseen impacts of armed conflicts on children, a team of child protection workers, social workers, nurses, and sociologists evaluated mental health and psychosocial support needs to explore how factors such as health and hygiene, food and nutrition, and education impact mental health in Tigray, Ethiopia.
• Ukraine: A novel pediatric and nursing trauma care training program was developed and implemented across Ukraine to strengthen trauma care capacity. Training has been transitioned to locally-led programs integrated within national education systems.

Program Streams

CiC supports affected communities, partners, and governments through the following program streams:

Knowledge Production

CiC collaborates with partners to identify and address the immediate and long-term needs of children in humanitarian crises. We contribute to the creation of impactful programs by providing expertise in communitybased needs assessments, research, and monitoring and evaluation. 

Technical Support

CiC provides technical guidance to a diverse range of partners, assisting with program design and implementation. Our expertise spans the health care continuum from primary to hospital care, including subspecialty services like pediatric emergency care, infectious disease, and mental health. 

Education

CiC has extensive experience developing and implementing educational programs globally. Our initiatives cover clinical education, crisis response training, and continuing medical education, with content available in person and virtual formats across digital platforms. 

Policy and Advocacy

Advocacy is central to CiC's mission, focusing on protecting and promoting the health and well-being of children in crisis. Our advocacy efforts aim to work with governments, UN agencies, and donor spaces.