Humanitarian Action for Children by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), agencies 4:23pm 16th Feb, 2016   Humanitarian Action for Children 2016    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced the launch of a $2.8 billion appeal to reach 43 million children in humanitarian emergencies worldwide, with for the first time ever the largest portion of the appeal – 25 per cent – going towards their education.    “Millions of children are being robbed of their education,” said Afshan Khan, UNICEF’s Director of Emergency Programmes, in a press release.    “Education is a life-saving measure for children, providing them with the opportunity to learn and play, amidst the carnage of gunfire and grenades,” she continued.    “This year, a quarter of our appeal is devoted to education. By educating the minds of children and young people we are building hope so they can envisage a better future for themselves, their families and their societies and help break the cycle of chronic crisis.”    The agency says it plans to dramatically increase the number of children in crises who are given access to education – from 4.9 million at the beginning of 2015 to 8.2 million in 2016. More than half – five million – will be Syrian children inside the country or in neighbouring countries.    Noting that its Humanitarian Action for Children 2016 has doubled since this time three years ago, UNICEF is warning that the twin drivers of conflict and extreme weather are forcing growing numbers of children from their homes and exposing millions more to severe food shortages, violence, disease, abuse, as well as threats to their education.    According to UN estimates, around one in nine of the world’s children is now living in conflict zones. In 2015, children living in countries and areas affected by conflict were twice as likely to die of mostly preventable causes before they reached the age of five, than those in other countries.    Meanwhile, climate change is a growing threat, with UNICEF estimating that over half a billion children live in extremely high flood occurrence zones and nearly 160 million live in high or extremely high drought severity zones. One of the strongest El Niño weather events on record poses further risk.    The number of people forced from their homes also continues to grow, with Europe alone receiving more than one million refugees and migrants in 2015.    “In the past few months I have seen with my own eyes children pushed beyond the boundaries of human suffering in Burundi, northeast Nigeria and along the migrant and refugee route in Europe,” says Ms. Khan.    “Across the world, millions of children have been forced to flee their homes due to violence and conflict. The global refugee crisis is also a protection crisis for children on the move, who are at increased risk of abuse, exploitation and trafficking,” she added.    UNICEF’s 2016 appeal targets a total of 76 million people, in 63 countries. In 2015, the agency reached millions of children with humanitarian aid – including providing 22.6 million people with access to safe water, vaccinating 11.3 million children against measles, treating two million children for the most serious form of malnutrition, offering two million children vital psychological support and giving four million children access to basic education.    http://www.unicef.org/hac2016/ http://www.unicef.org/appeals/ http://www.unicef.org/    February 2016    Conflicts and violence take huge toll on children in 2015 – UN envoy    Increasingly complex and widening conflicts have taken a huge toll on children in much of the Middle East in 2015, with parts of Africa and Asia facing protracted and relapsing wars that show no signs of abating, a senior United Nations child rights official said today.    Describing in her annual report to the UN Human Rights Council how extreme violence affected countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria and Syria, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, stressed that groups perpetrating extreme violence particularly targeted children.    “Children were disproportionately affected, displaced and often the direct targets of acts of violence intended to cause maximum civilian casualties and terrorize entire communities,” Ms. Zerrougui said in the report, which covers the period from December 2014 to December 2015.    The report also found that military responses targeting groups using tactics of extreme violence continued to generate additional protection challenges for children. Throughout the year, militias and vigilante groups allied with States used children in support roles or as combatants. The use of airstrikes was also of particular concern due, in many instances, to their indiscriminate nature.    The Special Representative noted that respect for human rights must be the basis of an effective response to extreme violence and actions must be undertaken in full compliance with international, humanitarian, human rights and refugee law.    Addressing the root causes of extreme violence, such as poverty and lack of economic opportunities for youth, lack of good governance, alienation of communities and political grievances, are necessary steps to find a lasting solution, Ms. Zerrougui stressed.    She added that the crucial role of prevention, as detailed in the UN Secretary-General"s proposed plan of action to prevent violent extremism, must be emphasized.    In the report, the Special Representative expressed her deep concern at the increasing number of attacks on schools, as well as military use of schools, in countries affected by war.    Again in 2015, conflict disrupted the education of millions of children, creating a direct challenge to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring quality education for all children.    Ms. Zerrougui called for additional funding for education in emergencies and reminded all parties to conflict of their responsibility to ensure safe access to school.    In addition, she noted that in 2015, the momentum generated by the campaign Children, Not Soldiers, which was launched in 2014, remained strong and led to a significant reduction of verified cases of recruitment and use of children by national security forces, especially in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Myanmar.    However, renewed conflict reversed most progress accomplished in South Sudan and Yemen, the Special Representative said.    “Through the campaign, Governments are developing or strengthening the legal framework to criminalize the recruitment of children and investing more resources and energy to fight impunity,” Ms. Zerrougui said. “This has created new openings to address other grave violations committed against children committed by all parties to conflict.”    In her report to the Human Rights Council, Ms. Zerrougui detailed how she used “every opportunity of engagement” with non-State armed groups and urges Governments to facilitate dialogue with a view to ending grave violations against children.    Among her recommendations, she encouraged Member States to treat children associated with armed groups primarily as victims and to use deprivation of liberty as a last resort and for the shortest time possible.    She also called for the universal ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and for adequate resources to set up and maintain sustainable reintegration programmes for former child soldiers.    * Access the report via the link below.    15 February 2016    UNICEF chief appalled by reports of attacks on hospitals, schools in northern Syria    United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Anthony Lake said today he is “appalled” by reports of attacks against four medical facilities in Syria, two of which are supported by UNICEF.    In a press statement, Mr. Lake said one of the facilities is a child and maternal hospital where children were reportedly killed and scores evacuated.    “Apart from compelling considerations of diplomacy and obligations under international humanitarian law, let us remember that these victims are children. Children,” Mr. Lake stressed.    Two of the strikes occurred at Azaz in Aleppo and another two occurred in Idlib, where one of the hospitals was reportedly struck four times. In addition, UNICEF said there are reports that two schools were attacked at Azaz.    http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53238#.VsKqsUDSPh4 http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53240#.VsOUcUDSPh4 http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=146 http://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/un-backed-task-force-seeks-aid-access-besieged-areas-without-delay http://healthcareindanger.org/ http://www.protectingeducation.org/ Visit the related web page
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