International Children’s Day: What are the most important problems facing Arab children?
Every year, on November 20, the world celebrates World Children’s Day, which was proclaimed in 1954 as an opportunity to strengthen international interdependence, raise awareness among children around the world and improve their well-being.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child, signed on the same day in 1989, stipulates the need for a set of international standards that all countries must adhere to, including the principle of non-discrimination, the interests of the child as a primary consideration. in all procedures related to children, and the child’s right to freely express his views, Basically, the child’s inherent right to life.
This year’s celebration takes place under the slogan “Inclusion for every child”, with the aim of achieving a more equal and inclusive world for all children.
Increased violence against children
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says children in the Middle East and North Africa are facing a new rise in violence.
He points out that since the beginning of this year, in many countries of the region, almost 580 children have been killed due to conflict and violence, at a rate of more than 10 children per week, and many more than that number have been injured.
The organization states in the report that children in the region continue to suffer the devastating consequences of protracted conflicts, communal violence, explosive ordnance and remnants of war and political and social unrest that exist in many countries, including Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict.
The organization regretted that children continue to pay a high price for violence during conflict and emphasized the need for States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to protect children in situations of conflict and violence and guarantee their right to life and freedom of expression.
Low health care
Before this year’s celebration, UNICEF warned that the outbreak of cholera in some countries in the region, such as Syria and Lebanon, threatens the survival of children in the Middle East.
Bertrand Banville, UNICEF’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said the speed of cholera outbreaks in Syria and Lebanon was alarming and the risk of spreading to other countries in the region required urgent action.
Expanding the response to disease prevention and control requires about $40 million in emergency support.
Some other neighboring countries already have high levels of acute watery diarrhea, Banville said, and could be at risk of cholera outbreaks.
Epidemics of cholera and acute watery diarrhea add to the already existing suffering of children in these countries.
He noted that malnourished children are more susceptible to severe cholera, and the cholera epidemic is another blow to the already overburdened health systems in the region.
A UNICEF official emphasized that “cholera knows no borders and lines of control, and spreads with the movement of the population, including displacement.”
He said what promotes the spread of disease in the worst-affected countries are weak water supply and sanitation systems, poor water management, increasing poverty, climate change and conflict, all of which make drinking water scarcer for families and their children.
Deterioration of the level of education
This year’s celebration of International Children’s Day has alarmed the level of education in some countries of the region.
In a report released about two months ago, UNICEF warned of a “generational catastrophe” in Sudan, with a third of children out of school.
In a joint statement with Save the Children, the organization said that “one in three children of school age is out of school in Sudan.”
The statement states that the education of another 12 million children “will be greatly hampered by the lack of teachers and the state of the infrastructure.”
The statement called for “the reopening of schools and the provision of alternative education options for children who have missed many years of schooling.”
Observers say that children in Sudan have faced difficulties in getting an education for years, especially those living in remote areas.
The press release states that education is hampered by the deteriorating socio-economic situation, frequent conflicts and the closing of schools during the spread of the coronavirus.
“Once children leave school, there is little chance for girls and boys to return to school,” he added, noting that girls are particularly affected.
In Yemen, which still represents the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, two-thirds of the population needs urgent humanitarian aid due to conflicts and epidemics.
Children are the number one victim of this crisis, with around 11 million children in need of some form of humanitarian assistance or protection, according to UNICEF.
The organization says there are more than two million school-age girls and boys who are out of school due to poverty, conflict and a lack of educational opportunities in Yemen.
In general, UNICEF warns that children with developmental disabilities are one of the most vulnerable groups in conflict situations.
The organization says that these children need specialized services and schools and aids such as wheelchairs, and warns that if they don’t get them, they face the risk of exclusion and neglect in their communities.
On International Children’s Day, what are the most important problems facing Arab children?
Has the situation of children in Arab countries improved or worsened? And why?
Does the Arab child receive adequate support and protection? And why?
Do Arab children find someone who listens to their requests and ideas in the family or social environment? And why?
We will discuss these and other topics with you in the episode on Wednesday, November 23
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