08/26/2021
Children Under Attack
https://www.unicef.org/children-under-attack
Around the world, attacks on children continue unabated. The number of countries experiencing violent conflict is the highest it has been in the last 30 years. The result is that more than 30 million children have been displaced by conflict. Many of them are being enslaved, trafficked, abused and exploited. Many more are living in limbo, without…, the protection of children, . Children have become frontline targets. This is a moral crisis of our age: We must never accept this as the ‘new normal.’ To better monitor, prevent, and end attacks against children, the United Nations Security Council has  identified and condemned,  six grave violations against children in times of war, : Killing and maiming of children; recruitment or use of children in armed forces and armed groups; attacks on schools or hospitals; rape or other grave sexual violence; abduction of children; and denial of humanitarian access for children.   Between 2005 and 2020, more than 266,000 grave violations were verified against children, committed by…, UNICEF aims to help 190.8 million children in emergencies in 2021, In times of crisis, children suffer most. The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Poverty and malnutrition are rising, inequality is growing, and the pandemic is upending the essential services that secure the health, education and protection of our children and young people. Even before the pandemic hit, conflict and climate change were driving an…, Humanitarian Action for Children 2021, sets out an ambitious agenda to address the major challenges facing children living through conflict and crisis. Children and young people living through crises have not lost hope. They haven’t given up on their dreams and futures. It’s our collective responsibility to respond., Humanitarian Action for Children: 2021 goals, COVID-19 unleashed a learning crisis, with school closures disrupting around 90 per cent of learners worldwide. This made learning even more difficult for children displaced or affected by humanitarian crises. In Venezuela, more than a million children have already dropped out of school, with a million more at risk of taking the same path.…, Key humanitarian results for 2020 include:, Following the onset of COVID-19, UNICEF immediately mobilized to reduce transmission of the virus and ensure the continuity of life-saving services. This included equipping health-workers with protective personal equipment and oxygen concentrators; rehabilitating schools in Syria; providing safe water to thousands of people affected by floods in…, treating more than 350,000 severely malnourished children in the Central Sahel. UNICEF also redoubled efforts to ensure every child learns, expanding access to education for Rohingya refugees and innovating with partners to provide online and distance learning to millions of out-of-school children across the globe. Find out more about UNICEF’s…, Recent emergencies news and features, Stop attacks on children, Ultimately children need peace to thrive. It is critical for children that efforts to end today’s seemingly endless armed conflicts are redoubled. But children cannot wait for protection – while wars continue, we must never accept attacks against children. Thirty years since the adoption of the  Convention on the Rights of the Child , and 70 years…, What we can all do to make change happen, Citizens everywhere  , can begin by not averting their gaze from children’s suffering, because it seems too distant or the politics of conflict too complex. We must insist to , national and international leaders,  that protecting children during armed conflict is the cornerstone of our shared humanity. We must demand , leadership,  which is prepared to act to prevent attacks and violence against children trapped in war zones., Governments and all warring parties where conflicts rage , must act to fulfil their obligations to protect children and enable access to specialized response services for children affected by violence., Communities in conflict-affected areas , must be supported to create protective environments for girls and boys., Governments who support or who have influence over warring parties,  must use all their influence to insist children are protected according to the requirements of international law., International peace and security institutions such as the United Nations Security Council,  , and regional organizations,  can do more to prioritize the safety and well-being of children trapped in armed conflicts., The international community,  can do more to support programmes which work to protect children from violence, abuse, and exploitation, and deliver the services needed to help children come through conflict with hope for a better future. By protecting children from attacks in armed conflict, we keep hope alive, we begin to prepare children to shape peaceful futures for…
08/26/2021
Six grave violations against children in times of war
https://www.unicef.org/stories/children-under-attack-six-grave-violations-against-children-times-war
From widespread killing, maiming, abduction and sexual violence to recruitment into armed groups and strikes on schools and hospitals, as well as essential water facilities – children living in conflict zones around the world continue to come under attack on a shocking scale.  To better monitor, prevent, and end these attacks, the United Nations…, six grave violations against children in times of war, : Killing and maiming of children; recruitment or use of children in armed forces and armed groups; attacks on schools or hospitals; rape or other grave sexual violence; abduction of children; and denial of humanitarian access for children.  To mark the 25th anniversary of Graça Machel’s report on the impact of armed conflict on children, UNICEF…, 1. Killing and maiming of children, Killing and maiming of children can be a result of direct targeting or indirect actions, including torture. Killing and maiming can occur through crossfire, landmines, cluster munitions, improvised or other indiscriminate explosive devices or even in the context of military operations, house demolitions, search-and-arrest campaigns, or suicide…, 2. Recruitment or use of children in armed forces and armed groups, Recruitment or use of children in armed forces and armed groups refers to compulsory, forced, or voluntary conscription or enlistment of children into any kind of armed force or armed group. Children continue to be recruited and used by parties to conflict at alarming rates. The use of boys and girls by armed forces or armed groups can be in any…, 3. Attacks on schools or hospitals, Attacks on schools or hospitals include the targeting of schools or medical facilities that cause the total or partial destruction of such facilities. Schools and hospitals should be protected spaces, where children are safe even in times of conflict, yet continued attacks on such facilities have underscored the catastrophic impact of armed…, 4. Rape or other grave sexual violence, Rape or other grave sexual violence includes acts of rape, other sexual violence, sexual slavery and/or trafficking, enforced prostitution, forced marriage or pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or sexual exploitation and/or abuse of children. In some cases, sexual violence is used to intentionally humiliate a population or to force people from…, 5. Abduction of children, Abduction of children refers to the unlawful removal, seizure, capture, apprehension, or enforced disappearance of a child either temporarily or permanently. Whether it’s an intentional act of violence or retaliation, to instill fear among populations, or to forcibly recruit and/or sexually abuse children, abduction is one of the most pervasive…, 6. Denial of humanitarian access for children, Denial of humanitarian access for children includes the intentional deprivation or impediment of humanitarian assistance essential for children’s survival by parties to the conflict, including willfully impeding the ability of humanitarian or other relevant actors to access and assist affected children in situations of armed conflict.  The United…, What UNICEF is doing , Lebanon. A Syrian refugee holds a box of supplies. A Syrian refugee holds a box of supplies in Lebanon. UNICEF and partners are continuing to provide care and protection for children living through war, advocating on their behalf, and engaging with all parties to conflict to ensure their rights are upheld. In addition to providing emergency and…