UNICEF hails new child protection measures by the government of Southern Sudan

UNICEF today welcomed the formation and launch of a Child Protection Unit by the government of Sudan within the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) as a milestone for the rights of children in the country.

The formation of the Child Protection Unit follows an Action Plan signed by the SPLA committing to release all children in its ranks by November 2010 and to end the exploitation of children as soldiers across Southern Sudan.

“The launch is testimony to the commitment of the Government of Southern Sudan and the SPLA to accelerate the establishment of an environment where the rights of all the children are respected," said Catherine Mbengue, UNICEF Southern Sudan, speaking at the launch. "Concrete measures must now be taken to ensure that all within the SPLA understand and respect their obligations.”

The Child Protection Unit is charged with the responsibility to ensure that no children are in the ranks of the SPLA. It will also work with partners during the verification, registration and demobilization of children still associated with the SPLA.

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UNICEF/WFP chiefs call for renewed support to Pakistan’s flood victims

The Executive Directors of UNICEF and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today called on the international community to step up their support for the victims of the ongoing floods in Pakistan.

Anthony Lake of UNICEF and Josette Sheeran of WFP made their call following a joint visit to operations in the Muzzafargarh district of Punjab, one of the worst affected parts of the country.

“There is a triple threat unfolding as this crisis widens and deepens,” said Sheeran. “People have lost seeds, crops and their incomes leaving them vulnerable to hunger, homelessness and desperation – the situation is extremely critical. We urgently need continued and strengthened commitment to the people of Pakistan in this time of crisis.”

While in the field, the two agency heads visited a school which has been turned into an emergency relief centre, where UNICEF hygiene kits were being handed out to families hit by the floods.

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UNICEF welcomes Angolan Government campaign to reduce maternal and infant mortality

According to the results of a Government survey released this month, Angola has made significant strides towards reducing maternal and infant mortality since 2002, with the mortality rate for children under five dropping from 250 to 195 per 1,000 live births. During the same period, the maternal mortality ratio decreased from 1,400 to 660 per 100,000 live births.

Despite the report of significant improvement, UNICEF says the situation remains unacceptable, as it puts Angola on par with the least developed countries, despite the fact that its GDP per capita is that of a lower middle income country.

Nevertheless, cost effective solutions do exist, such as improving access to effective obstetric interventions, promoting maternal practices that protect a child’s health, and ensuring that clinics have essential medicines and supplies.

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Capturing the voices of young people at the World Youth Conference

Engaging with adolescents and young people and discussing pressing issues they face in their lives is the goal of UNICEF’s participation in the World Youth Conference in Mexico.

Approximately 106 million young people between 15 and 24 years of age live in Latin America and the Caribbean region and they account for about 20 per cent of the total population. Together with the government of Mexico, and partners from UN agencies, academic institutions and NGOs, UNICEF is organising multiple activities for young people from the region during the one week conference in Mexico.

Migration is a central issue for young people in Central America. There is evidence of an increasing numbers of children and adolescents migrating on their own, often in a desperate effort to rejoin missing parents. These children face a variety of serious risks.

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Statement by UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, on sexual violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

The reported gang-rape of at least 179 women and girls in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) must serve as an urgent call to stop the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.

Egregious violations of human rights, including rape and sexual violence, have become endemic in the DRC. UNICEF is aware of some eighteen thousand survivors of sexual violence in DRC who sought assistance in 2009 alone, including 11,855 who required critical medical assistance. It is highly likely that many more attacks have gone unreported.

The suffering caused by sexual violence does not end with the assault. Many survivors carry physical and psychological scars for the rest of their lives. And sexual violence also has a profound impact on families, communities and society, reinforcing a culture of violence.

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UNICEF's life-saving operation in Pakistan in jeopardy due to funding shortfall

UNICEF warned that serious funding shortfalls are jeopardising its humanitarian operation in Pakistan. UNICEF is extremely concerned at the lack of funds for its water and sanitation operation, with millions of children at risk from water-borne diseases.

"Providing clean water and adequate sanitation is key to the survival of millions of flood affected people in Pakistan. In terms of numbers of people needing life-saving assistance, this emergency is bigger than the Tsunami, Haiti, and the last Pakistan earthquake put together,” said Martin Mogwanja, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan

"UNICEF is currently providing enough clean water for 1.3 million people every day, but millions more need the same services. We urgently need to scale up the distribution of water. If we are not able to do so because of lack of funding, water-borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and dysentery will spread and begin killing affected populations, especially children, already weak and vulnerable to disease and malnutrition", added Mogwanja.

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UNICEF emergency aid arrives in Pakistan amidst continuing flood crisis

As the worst natural disaster in living memory continues to unfold in Pakistan, a chartered airliner carrying 100 metric tonnes of UNICEF emergency relief arrived in the southern port city of Karachi early today. The shipment includes health kits, nutrition supplies, midwifery kits and tarpaulins for families affected by weeks of monsoon rains and flooding around the country.

“UNICEF’s main supply warehouse in Copenhagen has sent these items to support our ongoing relief activities in the flood-affected areas,” said the head of the UNICEF Field Office in Sindh, Andro Shilakadze.

“This is the first major shipment of emergency supplies and we expect more to arrive in the coming days,” added Mr. Shilakadze. “Since our pre-positioned supplies in one of the major warehouses were washed out by floods, supplies received today were urgently needed.”

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'Beyond School Books' - a podcast series on education in emergencies

More than 2 billion people worldwide are under the age of 18, and nearly 90 percent of them live in developing nations, according to UNICEF's estimates. Yesterday, International Youth Day, kicked off the International Year of Youth, which aims to advance the full and effective participation of youth in all aspects of society worldwide.

To mark the occasion, UNICEF podcast moderator Amy Costello spoke with two guests, Carvarinho Magalhaes Jeronimo Bento, who lives in the conflict-affected south-east Asian nation of Timor-Leste, and Radha Rajkotia, Senior Technical Advisor for Youth and Livelihoods at the International Rescue Committee in Washington DC.

The guests discussed the educational challenges facing young people in conflict and post-crisis nations.

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UNICEF ready to provide assistance to landslides-affected areas in China

UNICEF is preparing to respond to requests for emergency assistance for children and families affected by the devastating landslides in Zhouqu County in Northwest China’s Gansu Province.

State media reported that as of today, the landslide, the deadliest to hit China in six decades has caused 702 deaths, 1042 missing and 45,000 people evacuated.

The Government of China has dispatched rescue teams, medical support, emergency relief supplies and soldiers to Zhouqu County. Rescue efforts continue to be hindered, however, by rains and heavy mudflows which have blocked major roads. As students are currently on summer vacation, school was not in session when the landslide struck. However, in any emergency, young children are among the most vulnerable.

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International Year of Youth launched today

The International Year of Youth is being launched today in the General Assembly Hall with an eclectic event of speeches, musical performances, videos and poetry. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be on hand with welcoming words to kick off the Year, which runs from 12 August 2010 to 11 August 2011 under the theme Dialogue and Mutual Understanding.

The Year aims to promote the ideals of peace, respect for human rights and solidarity across generations, cultures, religions and civilizations. In a message issued on the occasion, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that “in a world in which different peoples and traditions are coming into closer, more frequent contact than ever before, it is crucial that young people learn how to listen intently, empathize with others, acknowledge divergent opinions, and be able to resolve conflicts.”

He called for strengthening efforts “to include young people in policies, programmes and decision-making processes that benefit their futures and ours.” In addition to the Secretary-General, today’s special event will be addressed by the Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Education of Tunisia, Samir Laabidi and the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Benin to the United Nations, Jean-Francis Régis Zinsou.

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UNICEF sending urgent supplies to women and children affected by Cameroon’s worst cholera outbreak in six years

UNICEF has joined WHO, UNFPA, WFP and UNHCR in sending urgently needed supplies to thousands of people affected by Cameroon’s worst outbreak of cholera since 2004, but remains deeply concerned about the plight of women and children in the area.

The current outbreak, which started in May 2010 in the Extreme North region of Cameroon and has subsequently spread to the neighboring North region, has to-date caused over 2,199 confirmed cases of cholera resulting in 163 deaths. This constitutes a high fatality rate of 7.41 per cent.

Characterised by a limited availability of clean water and proper sanitation, the Extreme North and North regions of Cameroon comprise an estimated population of over 5 million people, and share borders with Nigeria, Chad and the Central African Republic. In addition, parts of the Extreme North region have suffered extensive flooding over the past month, leaving many communities increasingly vulnerable to disease. UNICEF is concerned that any further spread of the outbreak could have serious consequences for women and children across the sub-region.

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6 million children affected by the floods in Pakistan

As the figures continue to rise, UNICEF says that 6 million children have been affected by the floods in Pakistan with some 2.7 million children in need of urgent, life-saving assistance.

According to UN estimates, a total of 14 million people have been affected by the flood crisis. Hundreds of thousands have received humanitarian aid, but millions more urgently need shelter, food, water, and health care. The flooding could worsen considerably in the coming days, especially in parts of Sindh.

"This is the biggest natural disaster to hit Pakistan and this region in living memory, bigger than the Tsunami or the 2009 earthquake, with millions of children and women struggling to survive in dire conditions. It is a race against time as we rush to deliver supplies to affected populations. The waters are still rising and we are bracing for flood waves as rivers overflow and the rains continue," said Martin Mogwanja, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan.

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Unique education programmes brighten the future for Afghanistan's young women

The city of Herat is the setting for ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ – Khaled Hosseini’s powerful, best-selling novel about the harsh conditions of women in Afghanistan.

While life for many women in the country remains difficult, today Herat’s Gowarshad High School – named for the powerful Timurid queen who founded the city – is full of confident young girls who are well aware of their rights.

UNICEF provides BRAC schools with educational materials, including recorded episodes of a Dari-language version of its ‘Meena’ cartoon series, a successful advocacy and teaching tool developed in South Asia. Like other viewers of the cartoon programme, girls at the BRAC school are fond of Meena, a spirited nine-year-old girl who braves the world tackling issues that affect children just like themselves.

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With free birth registration, Angola promotes a child's right to legal identity

To address the epidemic of undocumented children in Angola, the government recently passed a new law establishing free birth registration for children under five at maternity hospitals.

UNICEF non-governmental partner ‘Step in CARE’ assists residents of Angola’s Kwanyama municipality by taking registration cases directly to the Justice Ministry to speed up the process. In Cunene’s provincial capital, Step in CARE Coordinator João Tchite Culo has a two-pronged strategy. He spends half his time strengthening local administrative systems and the other half working directly in the community. There, he trains village organizers like Ms. Tuyenikelao to write formal documents and to negotiate with government officials when necessary.

The organizers also receive training in community mobilization – learning how to get people together to articulate their problems so that solutions can be found.

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Flood-affected women and children in north-western Pakistan urgently need aid

“UNICEF is ramping up its relief operation for the millions of people affected by the flooding,” says UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Martin Mogwanja. “Many of those are children who are especially vulnerable to disease and the present harsh conditions. They need water, medicine, food and shelter urgently."



Mr. Mogwanja, who is the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, adds that “things will probably get worse before they start getting better. We are working at full speed to respond to the most urgent needs of the affected populations.”

UNICEF is also supporting the government’s efforts to restore water supply systems in flood-affected areas. So far, around 700,000 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province have regained access to safe drinking water through restoration of 91 tube wells and water trucking. Water filters, soap, buckets and jerry cans for carrying water are also being distributed to families in need.

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International Day of the World’s Indigenous People

UNICEF joins in celebrating the vibrant diversity, rich culture and remarkable contributions of the world’s indigenous peoples. This year’s celebration comes at a significant time, as world leaders prepare to gather next month in New York for the Summit on the Millennium Development Goals. These goals reflect a global recognition of the basic needs and human rights of all people, and the special duty we share to help those in greatest need, especially the children.

As the recent UN Department of Economic and Social Affair’s State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples report makes all too clear, despite our progress, indigenous peoples remain at increased risk of being left behind in the global push to achieve the MDGs. The report shows that indigenous peoples face glaring disparities across virtually every indicator of human development. These disparities are especially troubling when it comes to children.

In Latin America, for example, child mortality is significantly higher among indigenous children than non-indigenous children. The life expectancy of a native Aboriginal child born in Australia today is 20 years shorter than a non-indigenous child. In Guatemala, more than 53 per cent of indigenous young people between the ages of 15 and 19 have not completed primary education, compared to around 32 per cent of non-indigenous youth.

Around the world, indigenous children are less likely than other children to be in school and more likely to drop out of school. Indigenous girls are at even greater risk of being excluded from school. And indigenous children often face a lifetime of discrimination and exclusion, deepening their disadvantages and perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

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UNICEF, WHO call for joint efforts to curb polio dissemination in Angola

UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have appealed for all sectors of the Angolan society to take joint efforts to secure a success for a nation- wide vaccination against poliomyelitis of about 5.6 million children, which were scheduled for August 6 to 8 and Sept. 10 to 12, the official news agency Angop reported on Thursday.

A joint press note from the two UN agencies said it was urgent to protect the country from the spread of poliomyelitis as the health ministry has recorded 17 cases of poliomyelitis in 2010 in the provinces of Luanda, Bengo, Huambo, Bie, Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul.

Most of the cases were reported in the border regions with DR Congo and were mostly affecting children. The Angolan government has promised to provide some 9.3 million U.S. dollars to support the vaccination campaign in 32 main districts of the country to cover at least 90 per cent of the children.
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UNICEF appeals for $47.3 million to fund its relief operation in Pakistan - 1.4 million children affected by the flooding

UNICEF has appealed for $47.3 million to fund its relief operation for the millions hit by flooding in Pakistan, including an estimated 1.4 million children. Pakistan is facing the worst flooding in more than 80 years. Heavy monsoon rains have affected close to 4 million people across the country.

"UNICEF is ramping up its relief operation for the millions of people affected by the flooding in Pakistan. Many of those are children who are especially vulnerable to disease and the present harsh conditions. They need water, medicine, food and shelter urgently. Our immediate priority is to reach all those hit by the flooding especially those in the most remote areas," said Martin Mogwanja, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan.

The UNICEF relief operation will concentrate on the critical areas of water and sanitation, health, nutrition, education and child protection. The largest part of the operation is the provision of water and sanitation systems to head off the outbreak of diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera, especially deadly to children. UNICEF is already providing clean drinking water to over half a million people and will bring in emergency food rations and emergency health kits.

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Over 500,000 IKEA SUNNAN Lamps purchased and matched for donations to children in India and Pakistan

The sunshine story continues. Since the IKEA SUNNAN campaign began June 1, 2009, over 500,000 lamps have been sold and matched for donations to either UNICEF or Save the Children. These solar powered lamps have already started to be distributed to children in India and Pakistan to help them read, write and study after dusk. The IKEA SUNNAN campaign matches every sale of a SUNNAN lamp for donation to either UNICEF or Save the Children.

"Millions of children can't draw, write, or read after sunset, limiting their horizons and possibly their futures," said Marianne Barner, head of IKEA Social Initiative. "We hope our lamps are a small but important contribution to improving the lives of children in developing countries."

The first donation of SUNNAN lamps received by UNICEF recently arrived in Pakistan. UNICEF deployed the donation to the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) where unrest had led to substantial internal displacement leaving hundreds of thousands living in IDP camps and temporary shelters; all in need of humanitarian assistance. The second lot of SUNNAN lamps is on the way to Pakistan and is destined to support communities in Balochistan living without electricity. UNICEF is also currently identifying the needs of communities in India and China for future donations. Additionally, shipments have been sent to Save the Children for donations to children in the cotton districts in Maharashtra, India.

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Angola launches nation-wide polio immunization campaign

In anticipation of Angola’s upcoming polio immunization campaign from 6-8 August, UNICEF and WHO call for the full engagement of all sectors of government as well as communities throughout the country to ensure that all 5.6 million children under five years old are reached in the most critical polio campaign this year.

As part of the Government’s emergency plan to put an end to polio in 2010, Angola will launch a national polio immunization campaign, to urgently protect the country's children from life-long paralysis. The campaign comes hot on the heels of the World Health Organization (WHO) issuing a stark report warning of the risk of international spread, given the high number of cases being reported in Angola this year.

Since the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Health has reported 19 cases of wild poliovirus in Angola. Six provinces - Luanda, Bengo, Huambo, Bie, Lunda Norte as well as Lunda Sul are affected, with 11 cases from North Lunda alone. Polio cases originating in Angola have also spread across the border to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Global experts have expressed concern about further spread in the region and the high cost of conducting emergency response campaigns.

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UNICEF supporting government response to the needs of children affected by floods in Afganisthan

UNICEF is distributing emergency assistance in the provinces that have been worst affected by recent floods, ensuring that the urgent needs of children are met.

The flooding follows torrential rains that have hit central and eastern parts of Afghanistan in the course of the last week. Afghan officials say the floods are the worst the region has experienced in more than 80 years, and further rain is forecast.

According to estimates by the Afghan Government the floods have left several thousand individuals homeless in northeast Kapisa, central Ghazni, Laghman, Nangarhar, Kunar, Logar, Khost and northern Parwan Provinces where over 4.000 houses have been destroyed. Much of the arable land and crops on which the local population relies have been devastated. The destruction of road and bridges by the heavy rainfall, combined with insecurity have hindered the response. The death toll so far is reported as 80.

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UNICEF sends in life-saving supplies to the millions of people affected by flooding in Pakistan

UNICEF is sending in life-saving supplies to the millions of people hit by severe flooding in several provinces in northern Pakistan. The devastating floods are said to be the worst in the region for 80 years and have affected an estimated 3.2 million people including 1.4 million children.

"The biggest threats are the outbreak of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera, especially deadly to children. We have already received reports of cases of diarrhoea amongst children. Food, clean drinking water, health supplies, high energy biscuits, clothing for women and children and vaccines, are needed urgently. We have already provided a first tranche of humanitarian supplies and will be bringing in more over the next days during this critical life-saving period", said Martin Mogwanja, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan.

The flooding has caused widespread destruction of infrastructure with roads submerged and bridges swept away. Power lines are down and damage has been done to hospitals, schools and sanitation systems. In one district, UNICEF reported that 80 per cent of the drinking wells had been destroyed. Many families are camping out in schools and other building located on higher ground.

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Calling for accelerated action, UN and Zimbabwe Government launch nutrition survey results

The Inclusive Government of Zimbabwe, the United Nations and the Zimbabwe Food and Nutrition Council (FNC) have launched new data on the nutritional status of Zimbabwe’s children, revealing that more than one third of Zimbabwe’s children under the age of five are chronically malnourished and consequently stunted.

Speaking as he officially launched the Zimbabwe National Nutrition Survey results, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said that Zimbabwe’s current food production remains too low to meet national requirements.

Years of persistent droughts and the recent downturn of the Zimbabwean economy have adversely affected food availability in many homes in Zimbabwe.

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UNICEF-supported programmes help families living with HIV in Angola

The bright red train carriage looks slightly out of place beside the square concrete architecture of Luanda’s Bernardino Paediatric Hospital, but the children love it. Inside the carriage, a group of toddlers are happily playing with building blocks under the supervision of social worker Frangueira Bernado António.



"We have an odd situation here, where children ask their mothers to bring them to the hospital because it's fun," said Mr. António. Although it began as a distraction for the children awaiting consultations and treatment at the hospital, the train car has become a useful therapeutic tool in itself – providing much-needed recreation, in particular, for the children at Bernardino being treated for HIV.

Angola is home to an estimated 190,000 people living with the virus, including 110,000 women. Alongside local activists and social workers such as Mr. António, UNICEF is working to support mothers here and prevent the spread of HIV from women to their babies.

Pau Gasol cheers attempt by Gaza children to break Guinness basketball record

National Basketball Association Superstar and UNICEF Spain Ambassador Pau Gasol delivered a video message to children in Gaza today, throwing his support behind their attempt to shatter the current Guinness World Record in dribbling basketballs. The record-breaking attempt is part of the annual “Summer Games” organized by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) involving a quarter of a million children across the Gaza Strip.

“Today, against incredible odds, you -- the children of Gaza -- will break the previous Guinness World Record for the most basketballs dribbled at the same time,” Gasol said. “In doing so, you send a powerful message to the world that your hopes and dreams are as real as every other child’s, and that if given the chance, you can achieve the impossible. I believe you can achieve your dreams -- and I say -- Go for it!”

Over 7,500 children have been practicing for weeks to break the current world record for simultaneously bouncing basket balls, which was set in Indiana, USA, in September 2007. The number of balls bounced was just over three thousand.

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Health facilities are vital in promoting good breastfeeding practices, says UNICEF

In World Breastfeeding Week, UNICEF and its partners are asking health professionals to encourage new mothers to breastfeed their children.

“Breastmilk is the best food a baby can have and breastfeeding gives a child the best possible start in life,” said Anthony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF.

The information that mothers receive from healthcare providers exerts a strong influence on their attitudes to breastfeeding. Healthcare professionals can play a vital role in encouraging new mothers to breastfeed their newborns.

While the benefits for children are beyond question, the global rate of exclusive breastfeeding is still only around 37 per cent. UNICEF is working with Governments and partners to increase support and encouragement for breastfeeding mothers, including by health workers, counsellors, mother-to-mother support groups, employers, relief workers in emergencies, legislators, community social networks and families. A number of countries, including some of the world’s least developed countries, have shown that significant progress is possible.

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