Early marriage in displacement as structural adaptation: a MENA evidence viewpoint

War-related displacement reshapes family decision-making and can accelerate girls’ transition to marriage. This viewpoint frames early marriage in displacement as a structural adaptation to crisis rather than a fixed cultural practice. Drawing on evidence from Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Palestine, and comparable MENA settings, it identifies four interlocking but non-exhaustive pathways: economic insecurity, protection risks and constrained mobility, social uncertainty and reference-group change, and institutional erosion. Available evidence suggests that displaced girls often face heightened risks of marriage before age 18 compared with host-community peers, although data remain limited and unevenly disaggregated by displacement status. The viewpoint argues for integrated, rights-based responses that combine continuity of education, social protection, civil registration, safe services, and locally grounded community engagement, rather than relying solely on narrow awareness campaigns.