Capturing forgotten voices: Syrian adolescents' experiences of displacement and humanitarian action in Jordan and Lebanon.

This studentship aims to capture the voices of young refugees and to help integrate them into
humanitarian programming through collaboration with Plan International, a key international actor
in child protection. Refugee adolescents (understood as any person aged between 11 and 19) are
one of the most vulnerable age groups in situations of conflict and displacement. They are
increasingly exposed to various forms of violations, such as physical, sexual, and psychological
violence, exploitation, trafficking, and military recruitment (Schlecht et al., 2017). Yet, adolescents,
especially females, are often overlooked in humanitarian programming that traditionally focuses
on the experience of younger children or adults. The specificities of adolescents' experiences and needs are neglected in the existing academic literature and so there is a gap in capacity building
resources for humanitarian organisations that work with them (Cuesta and Leone, 2020). This
project thus focuses on adolescents to examine their specific experiences of displacement as well
as their experiences as aid recipients in humanitarian crises. It contributes to a wider intellectual
endeavour in the field of humanitarian studies to engage with the local context and the diverse
experiences of vulnerable communities and incorporate them into effective humanitarian
responses. Capturing adolescents' voices will help to improve academic understanding of the issues
faced by a so far under-researched age group. The project can then offer an evidence-base to
practitioners to improve age-specific programming that is currently based mainly on assumed
rather than evidenced needs. Doing so is important because protecting, investing in, and
empowering adolescents is essential not only to better protect children, but also to build inclusive
communities and facilitate early recovery and development (UNICEF, 2020). To this end, the
projects asks these key research questions:

- What are the key challenges faced by refugee adolescents during conflict-related
displacement?
- What specific provisions do national and international organisations offer to this age group,
in particular with a view on protection, and how do they relate to their actual needs?
- How do adolescents experience the process of receiving assistance from the humanitarian
community?
- How do services provided to adolescents change their lives and communities?

Answering these questions will enable academics and practitioners to understand the specific needs
of this age group, and how far current programming is able to meet them. To make an impact on
humanitarian programming, the project will be undertaken in partnership with Plan International.
Alongside other actors in the field, the organisation has identified an urgent need to better include
refugee adolescents in decision-making processes that affect their lives and the lives of their
communities. Plan International considers these efforts as critical to empower children, young
people, and their communities.