Unfortunately, the number of displaced families is reported rising again in the country, thanks to the escalating Maoist violence. Worse still, the impact of the displacement on the lives of the innocent children is unprecedented as they acutely lack access to health care and education. Education, in particular, is disrupted, as the victimised families travel from place to place in search of security. One story, in the news lately, is of the unlucky Kalika Shah, a grade seven student of Makwanpur, who along with her five other siblings have not attended their classes after the Maoists padlocked their home seven months ago and the family was compelled to flee the village. They have already lost an entire academic year and are clueless when they would be readmitted. Like Kalika, bleak future awaits most of the displaced children, whose fathers are either killed or employed abroad and the mothers do not have enough financial and other resources to readmit them in the schools.

The internally displaced persons (IDPs) are individuals who have been forced to flee their homes or who have been uprooted by the conflict, but have not crossed an international border. Though they are not given the kind of protection provided to international refugees, the safety of their fundamental human rights and physical security is theoretically grounded in international human rights and humanitarian laws that Nepal is a signatory to. International humanitarian law expressly prohibits forced displacement of civilians in both international and non-international armed conflicts, and offers protections to the IDPs. Thus the state, along with agencies like UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP and other organisations concerned should immediately come up with humanitarian assistance to at least the children of the IDPs. Protection programmes addressing the special needs of children and other vulnerable groups can help guard them from further risks to their lives and well-being, besides safety from sexual and gender-based violence and other human rights abuses.