During crises, young people and children are among the most vulnerable groups and are severely affected, with interrupted schooling, health and nutrition issues, and protection risks the main consequences. Young people and children who have experienced armed conflict, as well as violence and disturbing displacement situations, are more likely to show changes in their social relations and behaviours. Sleeping problems, withdrawal, and difficulty concentrating are some of the symptoms usually shown by displaced young people. These negative effects are intensified further by uncertainty about the future.
“Due to the conflict, the only sports club in the city was destroyed,” says 38-year-old Aziz Yasser, a former martial arts champion from Al Houta district of Lahj governorate, “This left young people with few opportunities to physically express themselves.”