"From the standpoint of a refugee family, unity is critical to their strength-building and success" says humanitarian response experts Neil Boothby and Zahirah McNatt. As part of an initiative to conduct a regional study on the effects of family separation on displaced people, Boothby and McNatt have published a report on Syrian refugees in Jordan. Their report Impact of Separation on Refugee Families outlines the several ways in which family separation negatively impacts the Syrians facing this displacement, including financial burdens, increased child labor, emotional distress, broken social networks, parenting challenges and changes to familial roles.

In this conversation, McNatt and Boothby tell about their own backgrounds and how they got involved in this initiative and they provide background, current understandings and perspectives for future solutions. What are the barriers to reunification of family members, and how would reunifying Syrian families across the Middle East and Europe alleviate current burdens? Read the full report: http://bit.ly/refugeeseparation

Boothby is a Professor and Senior Research Scientist at Columbia University’s Earth Institute where he directs the Child Resilience and Wellbeing Program. His research focuses on the long-term consequences of deprivation and danger on child development, and the comparative efficacy of interventions that aim to strengthen the capacities of families and communities to protect young children from harm.

McNatt is a doctoral student (DrPH) at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health and a senior research associate with the Syrian Refugee Initiative. She is currently wrapping up a study focused on the impact of host-country healthcare policy on Syrian refugees residing in urban settings in Jordan, and also is taking on new work aimed at studying the effectiveness of emergency education programs for children in adversity in central and east Africa.