Nouakchott – November 20, 2019 marked the 30^th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In Mauritania, progress has been made to improve children’s welfare, primarily through a strengthening of legal and institutional child protection frameworks.

However, more needs to be done to ensure that all children, especially migrant children are protected.

Mauritania is a key transit and destination country for unaccompanied and separated children (UASC). Economic opportunities together with religious studies in Mauritania’s mahadras (Islamic schools) are the most common reasons why children migrate to Mauritania.

However, it is not uncommon for children to flee the mahadras because of the poor living conditions, and subsequently end up on the streets where they are exposed to extreme poverty, crime and drug use.

In 2017, IOM launched the project Améliorer les capacités d’intervention en Mauritanie en matière d’assistance aux enfants migrants vulnérables to support 10 mahadras across Mauritania in improving the living conditions of the students. Through the project and in partnership with local NGOs, IOM provides food, sanitation, literacy and academic training support, as well as vocational training to the children.

In 2019, IOM also helped eight unaccompanied and separated children from Sierra Leonne who were victims of forced begging, physical and psychological abuse, smuggling, and potentially even trafficking, return to their countries of origin.

For Sheikh Sadou Hanne who works in a mahadra in the outskirts of Nouakchott, IOM’s activities are welcomed by everyone.

“Everything that is done here is done by me: I make sure everyone is fed, dressed, and in good health. It can be a challenging task as there are more and more children coming to the mahadra”, he says.

 “The initiatives of IOM are appreciated by everyone here, but it is especially the older children, above age 13 or 14, who benefit greatly from small business activities”, he added.

The project Améliorer les capacités d’intervention en Mauritanie en matière d’assistance aux enfants migrants vulnérable is part of the Regional Development Protection Program for North Africa, funded by the European union through the Italian ministry of interior.

For more information, please contact Laura Sisniega at IOM Mauritania. Email: lsisniegacrespo@iom.int