Child Poverty in an Emergency and Conflict Context: A Multidimensional Profile and an Identification of the Poorest Children in Western Darfur

The conflict in Darfur represents a complex emergency situation. Challenges to humanitarian intervention are multiplied by inadequate information on local living conditions. This study applies the Alkire and Foster multidimensional poverty index to a set of dimensions of deprivation identified through a household survey, including dimensions usually missing such as economic exploitation, physical safety, empowerment, and psychological wellbeing. Our findings show that children with disabilities, particularly girls, are more often multidimensionally poor. We argue that multiple domains of deprivation complicate efforts to tackle poverty among children in Western Darfur and require a more comprehensive and coordinated approach by relief agencies. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.