The number of unaccompanied children taken into border authority custody after crossing the U.S. Southern Border is growing dramatically by the day. In January and February alone, there were 15,000 unaccompanied children taken into custody.

While statistics show that 75% of unaccompanied minors are between the ages of 15 to 17, it has been reported that some children traveling alone are as young or 6 or 7. So many of them have experienced severe trauma and have been subjected to horrific exploitation en route to the border.

Many children attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border are asylum seekers left with no choice but to flee their homes. Seeking asylum is not a crime. Every child has a right to safety, protection and a future, regardless of who they are or where they’re from.

Save the Children is deeply concerned for the well-being all children, including unaccompanied children, crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. We have worked in Latin America for many years, addressing the root causes that force children to flee their homes.

Here's what we know about the issues that are forcing children to make the dangerous journey.

For years, a complex crisis of violence, gang warfare and corruption has driven children and families to flee the Northern Triangle of Central America –  El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras – and seek safety and protection in the United States. These countries have some of the highest child homicide rates in the world.

In a recent survey, the UN spoke with over 400 unaccompanied children from the Northern Triangle, the majority of whom were forcibly displaced because due to life-threatening harm.

Read the full article about unaccompanied children at the U.S. border at Save the Children.