Child protection from violence, exploitation and abuse
Newsline
Support reaches a household of five siblings orphaned by AIDS in Malawi
LILONGWE, Malawi, 30 April May 2008 – At just 13 years of age, Tiyamike was already a veteran caregiver responsible for looking after four younger siblings. Tiyamike’s father had died the year before, due to complications from AIDS, and soon after, when his HIV-infected mother took ill, Tiyamike left school and started working.
Rwandan and Liberian youths capture images of their lives at 'Eye See III' workshop
NEW YORK, USA, 24 April 2008 – Each equipped with a camera and a unique perspective, dozens of children in Rwanda and Liberia recently spent a week with internationally renowned photographer and frequent UNICEF contributor Giacomo Pirozzi for a series of training workshops called ‘Eye See III’.
Psychosocial activities help disadvantaged Palestinian children relieve stress
QALQILYA, West Bank, 28 April 2008 – Laughter fills the playground as more than 100 children with disabilities anxiously await their first visit to the only zoo in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Sex tourism and child exploitation targeted by international experts at Innocenti conference
FLORENCE, Italy, 25 April 2008 – Two related topics – combating child sex tourism, and corporate social responsibility – were key discussion points at the expert consultation on child sexual exploitation and trafficking hosted by the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (IRC) here this week.
UNICEF and Cameroon work to improve conditions for juvenile prisoners
DOUALA, Cameroon, 14 April 2008 – Pascal is just 14 years old, but he is already living behind bars, as one of 85 juvenile inmates doing time in Douala’s Newbell prison.
Crushed childhoods, cruel choices in Gaza
AMMAN, Jordan, 8 April 2008 – Ayman is a soft-spoken 14-year-old boy from Jabalia City, Gaza. His family is poor, as his father has been unemployed since March 2006. Ayman’s parents have already sold almost all their furniture to pay for food and schooling for their children. Recently, after collecting a governmental food handout, Ayman’s father had to sell the milk to get the money for the journey back home.
On International Mine Awareness Day, Afghanistan still copes with landmines
KABUL, Afghanistan, 3 April 2008 – Landmines have killed or injured more than 70,000 Afghans in the last two decades, and they continue to cause hundreds more casualties each year.
Guinea-Bissau works to put child traffickers out of business
BAFATA REGION, Guinea-Bissau, 26 March, 2008 – At a remote police station in eastern Guinea-Bissau, Amandou Jau, 12, waited patiently to be reunited with his father. Amandou had been rescued from the clutches of a child trafficker who had sought to smuggle him across the border into Senegal.
Help for children psychologically affected by war in Chechnya
SHALI, Chechen Republic, Russian Federation, 3 March 2008 – Zarema, 10, lives with her parents in the war-torn Chechnya region of Russia. Her story highlights the ways in which children are affected by war, and the need for mental health and psychosocial support in emergency situations.
Executive Director says stability is bringing progress for children in Sierra Leone
FREETOWN/MAKENI, Sierra Leone, 29 February 2008 – As she wrapped up a three-day official visit here yesterday, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said Sierra Leone’s stability was bringing progress for children after a decade of conflict.
Executive Director visits programmes bringing hope to war-affected Liberian children
MONROVIA, Liberia, 27 February 2008 – UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman has just completed a visit here to gain firsthand insights into the situation of children in post-conflict Liberia.
UNICEF Ambassador Lucy Liu collaborates with young artists at ‘Maria’s Children’
MOSCOW, Russia, 25 February 2007 – Lucy Liu is a woman of many talents. The world-famous actress and US Fund for UNICEF National Ambassador is also a musician, a martial artist and, of course, a pre-eminent advocate for children. Last week in Moscow, she demonstrated her artistic skills as well, during a visit to ‘Maria’s Children,’ a unique art studio in the city’s centre.
Following post-election conflict, thousands of children miss the first day of school
NAIROBI, Kenya, 24 January 2008 – The violence that erupted in the aftermath of last year’s disputed presidential elections has made life chaotic for many in Kenya.
UNICEF Germany ‘Photo of the Year’ raises awareness about early marriage
NEW YORK, USA, 24 December 2007 – US photographer Stephanie Sinclair is the winner of this year’s ‘Photo of the Year’ competition presented by the German National Committee for UNICEF.
UNICEF Kenya brings children’s issues to election campaign platform
NAIROBI, Kenya, 17 December 2007 – Four hundred children, their teachers and UNICEF staff members brought a section of Kenya’s capital to a standstill as they marched through the streets with music and banners proclaiming their arrival.
Protecting children’s rights where they are not enshrined by treaty
HARGEISA, Somalia, 29 November 2007 – The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) turned 18 last week – a momentous occasion for children all around the world. It was of particular interest to youths in Somalia, one of only two countries in the world that have not ratified the CRC.
In troubled Darfur, children raise their voices to defend their rights
NORTH DARFUR, Sudan, 27 November 2007 – Amidst the sandstorms, heat, dust and insecurity of Darfur, the voices of hundreds of children rang out as they delivered key messages on the rights of children during the 18th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
For homeless Russian children, hope and help to get off the streets
MOSCOW, Russia, 26 November 2007 – Farukh, 12, has lived on the street for over a year with his mother. They came to Moscow from Izhevsk, a small town in the Russian region of Udmurtia. He says there is no way they would ever go back, because his grandmother was always angry and drunk.
Help for children psychologically affected by war in Chechnya
SHALI, Chechen Republic, Russian Federation, 21 November 2007 – Zarema, 10, lives with her parents in the war-torn Chechnya region of Russia. Her story highlights the ways in which children are affected by war, and the need for mental health and psychosocial support in emergency situations.
New book, launched at UNICEF, examines legal framework for child rights
NEW YORK, USA, 20 November 2007 – A new guide examining various strategies for implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in different legal systems worldwide was launched today at UNICEF House in New York.
UN task force unveils mental health guidelines for healing communities in emergencies
NEW YORK, USA, 20 November 2007 – The heavy burden of mental health and psychosocial needs in emergencies causes significant problems for children and families around the world. Until recently, however, no comprehensive mental health guidelines were available for field workers on the ground during emergencies.
On CRC anniversary, Ishmael Beah appointed UNICEF Advocate for Children Affected by War
NEW YORK, USA, 20 November 2007 – UNICEF’s first Advocate for Children Affected by War, Ishmael Beah, has pledged to give a voice and hope to children whose lives have been scarred by violence.
In Guinea-Bissau, a victim of female genital mutilation/cutting calls for its end
BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau, 13 November 2007 – Nhima Cisse, now 42, was 8 years old when she was cut. “I can never forget the pain and trauma I went through that day,” she says.
At ‘Machel plus 10’ launch, children have their say about conflict
NEW YORK, 1 November 2007 – About 1,700 children from 92 countries contributed to a report that accompanied the recently launched UN review that highlights the devastating impact of armed conflict on the lives of millions of children.
As UNICEF names spokesperson on child violence, UN report offers signs of hope
NEW YORK, USA, 19 October 2007 – An update presented to the UN General Assembly today shows that progress is being made towards eradicating some of the worst forms of violence against children. The report comes just as UNICEF has appointed Tony Award-winning actress Sarah Jones as its first Spokesperson on Violence against Children.
‘Machel plus 10’ review says war becoming even more dangerous for children
NEW YORK, 17 October 2007 – A new UN report highlights the devastating impact that dozens of low-level conflicts are having on the lives of millions of children around the world.
Maisha’s story: Former child soldier reclaims his life in DR Congo
GOMA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 16 October 2007 – Maisha (not his real name) was 15 when he joined the Mayi-Mayi militia, a loose coalition of Congolese soldiers that emerged a decade ago in opposition to the Rwandan-backed Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie (RCD).
Masika’s story: Child combatant in DR Congo recalls the emptiness of army life
GOMA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 11 October 2007 – Masika (not her real name) was only 13 when she decided to join the Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie (RCD) militia in eastern DR Congo. She joined because her mother had recently died. She also liked the uniforms the soldiers were wearing.
Voix du Coeur Centre provides a safe haven for Bangui’s street children
BANGUI, Central African Republic, 10 October 2007 – Walking through Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, it is impossible to miss the large number of children weaving amongst the vendors, taxis and commuters. Dozens of children can be seen working and begging in the streets they call home.
UNICEF supports child-friendly policies on juvenile justice in Mongolia
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia, 28 September 2007 - In Ulaanbaatar, the bustling capital of Mongolia, five dishevelled children dart across the dusty pavement of the streets and pry open a heavy iron manhole cover. They slip into a narrow hole deep below the city – for now, this is where these children are living.
More nations commit to 'Paris Principles' on ending the trauma of child soldiers
NEW YORK, 1 October 2007 – Seven more nations have joined an international commitment to stop the recruitment of children in armed conflict.
Summer youth camps promote peace in the North Caucasus
MOSCOW, Russia, 24 September 2007 – Tolerance, peace and living in a multi-ethnic society were the themes of five summer camps organized by UNICEF and local authorities in four of Russia’s North Caucasian republics – Ingushetia, Dagestan, North Ossetia and Kabardino-Balkaria. Over 500 children took part in the programme this year.
Stop Child Abuse campaign asks for change at a policy level
LILONGWE, Malawi, 20 September 2007 – Many children in Malawi continue to be exploited and abused by the very people who should be protecting them. One year ago, 15-year-old Mary (not her real name) lost both her parents to HIV-related illnesses. She was taken in by an uncle who promised to care for her, but instead was turned into a servant and asked to work on her uncle's farm.
Moscow hosts Cities for Children conference and signs on to become child-friendly
MOSCOW, Russian Federation, 7 September 2007 – Seventy per cent of all Russian children live in urban areas. An eighth of them – some 1.6 million children – live in the capital, Moscow, which this week hosted a two-day global conference on urban child protection.
UNICEF Executive Director says female genital cutting must be “consigned to history”
NEW YORK, USA, 6 September 2007 – In an opinion piece yesterday in the Modesto Bee, a daily newspaper published in her home state of California, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman assailed female genital cutting as “one of many harmful practices that have their roots in discrimination” against girls and women.
At regional forum, Latin America unites to recognize children’s first right – to identity
ASUNCION, Paraguay, 29 August 2007 – Throughout Latin America, one in six children does not legally exist because he or she was not registered at birth. That means almost 2 million of the approximately 11 million annual births in the region are not registered.
Insecurity has not dampened children’s aspirations in Central African Republic
EN ROUTE TO PAOUA, Central African Republic, July 2007 – Our convoy stopped on the dirt road intersecting the northwestern village of Nana Barya. Climbing out of the car, we were confronted by the burnt ruins of a village. In the entrance of one house lay a tiny child’s sandal, left behind in the fracas of flight.
Pilot project provides a community-sentencing alternative for young offenders
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, 2 August 2007 – We drive along in a shabby suburb of Tajikistan’s capital, Dushanbe. There is nothing remarkable about this neighbourhood. The low-rise urban landscape is a legacy of the Soviet era.
UNICEF aids release of children from rebel forces in Central African Republic
GORDIL, Central African Republic, 2 August 2007 – “When I shot them I felt dizzy and passed out,” recalls Ahmed, a soldier who claims he is 16, though he looks much younger.
Justice and support for victims of child sexual abuse in Indonesia
LOMBOK, Indonesia, 2 August 2007 – Lombok is a picturesque tropical island, one of thousands that make up the Indonesian archipelago. But behind the beauty lies the issue of child abuse, a hidden crime that affects the most vulnerable in the form of violence in the home and at school, child labour and sexual abuse.
At Sofia Consultation, governments in South East Europe embrace child-care reform
SOFIA, Bulgaria, 30 July 2007 – “I would describe it as a paradigm shift,” says UNICEF Child Protection Specialist Dita Reichenberg, referring to outcomes from the first regional consultation on child care system reform in South East Europe.
Youth-driven discussion panel seeks ways to end child trafficking in Botswana
KASANE, Botswana, 23 July 2007 – Last month, about 25 children from Kasane took part in a forum to discuss the issue of combating child trafficking with their local community leaders. The youth discussion panel, which was organised by UNICEF Botswana, was held in commemoration of this year’s Day of the African Child, of which child trafficking is the main focus.
Experimental apartment declared a successful alternative to orphanages
RUSTAVI, Georgia, 17 July 2007 - In a town that time seems to have forgotten, there is a building that hasn’t seen much care for years. But seven floors up, UNICEF helped renovate an apartment for an experiment that has already begun to change the lives of children in Georgia.
Centre for struggling mothers aims to break the cycle of child abandonment in Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine, 12 July 2007 – Oksana’s life had never been easy. After having grown up in an orphanage and struggling to make a stable life as an adult, she found herself pregnant and alone. After giving birth prematurely to a daughter, Marynka, she and her baby were hospitalized for a month.
‘Les inséparables’ films help combat child trafficking in Benin and worldwide
COTONOU, Benin, 10 July 2007 – ‘Les inséparables’ tells the story of brother and sister Yawa, 12, and Abi, 9, who are sold to a female child trafficker by their father without their mother’s knowledge.
Under the façade of religious study, children fall victim to trafficking
GABU, Guinea-Bissau, 9 July 2007 – Fande Djaló was sent to Senegal as a child ‘talibé’, or student of Islam, when he was only six years old. In Guinea-Bissau, where almost half of the population is Muslim, it is becoming a tradition for children – mostly boys from 5 to 15 years of age – to study abroad under a Koranic master.
Children’s centres provide an alternative approach to juvenile justice in Tajikistan
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, 9 July 2007 – Just as our interview is about to begin, the telephone rings and with it vanishes the charming smile that lights up Abdul’s face. He senses that his mother is on the other end of the line.
Youth journalists in Burundi interview their president on child trafficking
BUJUMBURA, Burundi, 27 June 2007 – After a recent public outcry, the goal of ending child trafficking has been strongly backed by Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza.
Making every child count in the streets of Kolkata, India
KOLKATA, India, 22 June 2007 – In a unique initiative to protect street children from exploitation and ensure their rights, birth certificates were awarded to 50,000 youths from underprivileged neighbourhoods at a glittering ceremony in Kolkata this week.
Yemen at the forefront of regional debate on child abuse and neglect
SANA’A, Yemen, 20 June 2007 – The discussion about persistent forms of violence perpetrated against children in the Arab world places Yemen in a crucial position. Though challenges remain, initiatives to combat manifestations of child abuse here have proven both effective and sustainable.
UNICEF and partners aid child labourers and fight trafficking in Niger
NIAMEY, Niger, 15 June 2007 – The sight of children toiling in the streets is part of the daily landscape here in Niger’s capital. In one of the poorest countries in the world, two-thirds of children under the age of 14 work.
Child trafficking in Côte d’Ivoire: Efforts under way to reverse a tragic trend
NEW YORK, USA, 14 June 2007 – UNICEF’s Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, Youssouf Oomar, says trafficking is a grave child-protection concern in that country and throughout West Africa.
Queen Rania, Eminent Advocate for Children, visits child health centre in Morocco
FEZ, Morocco, 2 June, 2007 – On the second day of her official trip to the Kingdom of Morocco, Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan, UNICEF’s Eminent Advocate for Children, took time out to visit the Doukara Health Centre in the heart of one of the country’s most underprivileged neighbourhoods.
Queen Rania, Eminent Advocate for Children, shares Morocco’s successes
FEZ, Morocco, 1 June 2007 – Morocco is committed to the achievement of quality education, protection and a decent life for its children. During an official visit to the Kingdom, Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan today witnessed examples of innovative projects being implemented here.
At regional launch of violence study, Kenyan children say ‘no’ to corporal punishment
NAIROBI, Kenya, 31 May 2007 – The UN Secretary-General’s Study on Violence against Children has been launched here by Kenyan Vice-President Moody Awori at an event attended by donors, non-governmental organization representatives and UN officials.
Children face dangers as they try to cross desert into U.S.
ALTAR, Mexico, 24 May 2007 – For countless Latinos, the road to the American Dream has a short-cut through a tiny farming community about an hour-and-a-half south of the U.S.-Mexico border. Word has travelled throughout Latin America that if you're looking for a guide to help you illegally navigate the desert into the United States, you'll find him in Altar.
Child Soldiers Demobilized in the Central African Republic
NEW YORK, USA, 21 May 2007 – On Thursday, UNICEF announced that negotiations have started with rebel armed groups in the northeast of the Central African Republic for child soldiers to be released and returned to their families.
UNICEF Sri Lanka reaches out to children and families displaced by escalating conflict
NEW YORK, USA, 16 May 2007 – UNICEF is playing an increasing role in addressing the psychosocial needs of children affected by ongoing violence in Sri Lanka.
UNICEF and ECHO reintegrate child soldiers in Côte d’Ivoire, and Béoué is ready for success
BÉOUÉ VILLAGE, Côte d’Ivoire, 15 May 2007 – Béoué, 18, is slender and looks rather small for his age. When he is carrying the mud for the chicken coop that he and his friends are building, it becomes clear how strong he actually is. He is obviously used to organizing activities and delegating responsibility, so the coop is built quickly.
Lawmakers inspired by field visit to UNICEF Indonesia projects
LOMBOK, Indonesia, 15 May 2007 – More than a dozen lawmakers from around the world took time out from the recent Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly held in Bali to take a firsthand look at UNICEF projects on neighbouring Lombok Island.
UNICEF and Government of Chad reach accord raising hopes for children in armed conflict
NEW YORK, 11 May 2007 – UNICEF and the Government of Chad signed an accord this week to work to demobilize child soldiers throughout the country.
Providing basic services to Gabon’s ‘people of the forest’
ESSENG, Gabon, 9 May 2007 – On a beautiful recent morning in this remote village in northern Gabon, men sat in the ‘corps de garde’ in the town square and women stood nearby with apprehensive but happy children running around them.
Hip-hop documentary brings home clear-cut truths about ‘blood diamonds’
NEW YORK, USA, 2 May 2007 – There’s no end to clichés about diamonds. They’re forever. They’re a girl’s best friend. And recently, the term ‘blood diamonds’ has become commonplace, representing the fact that many armed conflicts in Africa have been funded by the sale of diamonds.
UNICEF Executive Board witnesses progress for at-risk children in Kyrgyzstan
ISSYK-ATINSKIY, Kyrgyzstan, 1 May 2007 – Following on the heels of missions earlier this year to Liberia, Panama and Peru, members of the UNICEF Executive Board have just returned from Kyrgyzstan, where they visited UNICEF-supported projects to help at-risk children and families.
Author of UN violence study advocates child rights at criminal justice conference
NEW YORK, USA, 27 April, 2007 – Professor Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, the Independent Expert behind the UN Secretary-General’s Study on Violence against Children and a world-renowned advocate of child rights, attended the 16th Session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice this week in Vienna, Austria.
UNICEF and partners help child domestic workers in Haiti regain their rights
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, 20 April 2007 – Andre does not know his real name nor how old he is. His mother died when he was young and he says he was sent to work for another family because his father was unable to take care of him.
Institutionalized children return home to family life in Georgia
TIANETI, Georgia, 19 April 2007 – Child welfare reform in Georgia could soon achieve a 40 per cent reduction in the number of institutionalized children around the country.
Mine awareness campaign aims to save lives and limbs in Nepal
KAVRE, Nepal, 13 April 2007 – An innocent game of football turned deadly when three young boys accidentally set off an explosive device buried in the ground.
Billboards depict a child’s perspective of life in Chechnya, Russian Federation
NEW YORK, USA, 13 April 2007 – Fourteen billboards funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) have been set up by UNICEF in Chechnya.
Drumming up pride among post-war Burundi’s street children
BUJUMBURA, Burundi, 9 April 2007 – Thierry is known at the Stamm Foundation as the boy who shook hands with Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General. That was last year at the Fifth African Development Forum in Addis Ababa, when the young drummers of ‘Les Tambourinaires’ performed at a farewell reception for Mr. Annan.
International Day for Mine Awareness draws global attention to landmines
NEW YORK, USA, 4 April 2007 – A simulated mine field in the shadow of the UN building, and an exhibition of landmines and explosives of all shapes and sizes. These were just two of the ways in which the United Nations marked the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, a day aimed at focusing global attention on the danger of these legacies of war and to mark the progress towards their eradication.
Football match scores against landmines on Landmine Awareness Day in Sudan
KHARTOUM, Sudan, 4 April 2007- Under a scorching sun, and amidst the dust of a makeshift soccer pitch, the crowd of some 800 spectators in Al Salam camp for internally displaced persons roars as the third goal, an equalizer, hits the back of the net.
Deadly landmines threaten the lives and well-being of children in rural Colombia
NEW YORK, USA, 4 April 2007 – Nearly six years ago, when Irma Janeth was 10, she accidentally set her left foot on a landmine while walking through the woods in her hometown of Quebradona, rural Colombia. The explosion tore off one of her legs instantly, and left her unable to bear children.
Young Palestinians mark Palestinian Child’s Day by speaking out against violence
BETHLEHEM, Occupied Palestinian Territory, 4 April 2007 – Hundreds of children will mark Palestinian Child’s Day on Thursday by gathering in Gaza and Ramallah and speaking out against violence. The young activists have also arranged to speak to a panel of high-level officials to request they take the lead in protecting children from the ongoing violence.
With participation of disabled youth, UN treaty on the rights of the disabled signed
NEW YORK, USA, 2 April 2007 – A new treaty to ensure the human rights of the estimated 650 million people in the world with disabilities opened for signature on March 30 during a special session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Nicaraguan Digital Diarist interviews peers about abuse and discrimination
NEW YORK, USA, 30 March 2007 – Jorge Luis Contreras, 16, who lives in Esteli, northern Nicaragua, is an avid interviewer. For several years now, he has been part of Radio Cumiches, a youth radio group.
UN panel explores the legacy of the slave trade on the 200th anniversary of abolition
NEW YORK, New York, 27 March 2007 – Communities torn apart, millions of lives lost and bonded, and generations of Africans stripped of their native heritage – this is the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, which accounted for one of the longest and widest-ranging human tragedies in history.
Lights, camera, action! South Africa hosts 5th World Summit on Media for Children
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 27 March 2007 – It was lights, camera and loads of action as the 5th World Summit on Media for Children opened here on Saturday evening. People of all ages and nationalities descended upon the Sandton Convention Centre for an evening of music, dance, festivities and, of course, food.
UN Special Representative commends demobilization of child soldiers in Burundi
BUJUMBURA, Burundi, 27 March, 2007 – The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, has commended Burundi for its demobilization of child soldiers, and UNICEF is part of the success story.
Young Moldovan mother who survived trafficking struggles to recover
CHISINAU, Moldova, 26 March 2007– Beaten throughout her childhood in Moldova, Ana, now 21, left home in despair at the age of 12. As a result, she became a victim of trafficking.
Child exploitation and Guinea worm result from lack of safe water in Ghana
ACCRA, Ghana, 14 March 2007 – Savelugu, a small town in the Savelugu-Nanton District of Ghana’s Northern Region, used to enjoy a regular supply of clean water – before the water system was no longer able to meet the needs of a growing population.
Sexual violence afflicts the lives of children at a school in central Kenya
NAIROBI, Kenya, 13 March 2007 – UNICEF’s recently appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Eastern and Southern Africa, the hip-hop star Zola, thought he had seen it all. Born as Bonginkonsi Dlamini in Zola, a crime-ridden neighbourhood in Soweto, South Africa, he grew up surrounded by hunger, poverty, violence and guns.
At Burkinabe festival, youth jury gives UNICEF award to child rights film
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkino Faso, 12 March 2007 – At an awards ceremony held here earlier this month, during FESPACO, Africa’s largest film festival, UNICEF honoured ‘Un matin bonne heure’ (Early One Morning) with a prize for the promotion of child rights. Guinean director Gahité Fofana received the UNICEF trophy and 2 million CFA francs.
Helping Roma mothers raise healthy, educated children
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 8 March 2007 - Deep-seated discriminatory practices persist in southeastern Europe against nearly 1 million Roma children in the region, according to a new UNICEF report that seeks to raise awareness of the extent to which these children suffer from social exclusion.
Marginalized girls take centre stage at UN panel on unleashing their potential
NEW YORK, USA, 6 March 2007 – A panel of young women dedicated to improving the lives of marginalized girls shared their experiences during a panel discussion at United Nations headquarters this afternoon.
‘Stop Rape Now’: UN agencies against sexual violence as a tactic of war
NEW YORK, USA, 5 March 2007 – Impassioned pleas to end the use of sexual violence against women during armed conflict were heard at United Nations headquarters in New York this afternoon. They came as part of a panel discussion kicking off a new multi-agency initiative to investigate and intensify the UN’s response to sexual violence in war.
Civil unrest in Guinea leads to rapes of women and children
CONAKRY, Guinea, 5 March 2007 – When Adelaid’s mother had to leave Conakry last month to forage for kola nuts, she left her in the care of an uncle to protect her from the violence that had overtaken Guinea’s capital city.
A former child soldier speaks out at UN session on challenges facing girls
NEW YORK, USA, 2 March 2007 – The striking testimony of a girl who was formerly a child soldier brought an audience of hundreds to its feet for a standing ovation – and moved many to tears – at United Nations headquarters in New York this afternoon.
Child migrant workers in Mexico miss out on education and a safe environment
SINALOA STATE, Mexico, 2 March 2007 – For migrant farm workers, the work day often begins long before the sun rises. Today, Javier and a few of the other workers huddle around a fire for warmth until the boss arrives and signals them to start working.
German Government donation to aid vulnerable youth in Zimbabwe
ZIMBABWE, 26 February 2007 – Tinashe was just eight when he lost his mother to AIDS. His father disappeared soon after her burial, leaving Tinashe and his younger brother in the care of their ailing grandmother.
Amid unrest in Guinea, boy shot while playing football
CONAKRY, Guinea, 23 February 2007 – Mamadou Sidi Diallo woke up one morning last month thinking only about the football game he was going to play that day with his friends. By that night he was lying in a hospital bed, paralyzed on the left side by a bullet from uniformed men who shot at him and his friends on the field.
UNICEF Executive Director visits child-centred projects in Egypt
NEW YORK, USA, 20 February 2007 – UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman has commended Egypt’s progress towards advancing child rights at the end of a three-day visit to the country.
Minister of Education urges international support for recovery in post-conflict Liberia
NEW YORK, USA, 16 February 2007 – Having emerged from an almost 15-year civil conflict, Liberia is now gathering international support to help bring hope and a better future to its children and women.
UNICEF hosts book launch for Ishmael Beah, former child soldier
NEW YORK, USA, 16 February 2006 – Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier from Sierra Leone, is no stranger to talking before an audience. He has travelled the world speaking out and galvanizing international efforts to rehabilitate children caught in conflict.
Burkina Faso training centre helps protect young women from exploitation
TOUGAN, Burkina Faso, 16 February 2007 – Seated on an old-fashioned bamboo chair with her eyes downcast, Djerma Salimata, 20, does not seem eager to think back to the time when she worked as house help in Bobo Dioulasso, the second largest city in Burkina Faso.
Net Safety Day 2007: Child protection in cyberspace
NEW YORK, USA, 6 February 2007 – The Internet provides children with new ways to express themselves, learn and build friendships – but it also poses risks.
Paris conference makes historic commitment to liberate children from war
PARIS, France, 6 February 2007 – Fifty-eight countries represented at a high-level conference in Paris today committed themselves to stopping the unlawful recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts.
At Paris conference, a former child soldier demands help for children in armed conflict
PARIS, France, 5 February 2007 – A former child soldier from Sierra Leone today implored delegates at an international conference on children and armed conflict to help rehabilitate young people like him.
Liberating Liberia’s war generation
MONROVIA, Liberia, 5 February 2007 – Brutal marks of war and neglect are stark in Liberia’s capital, but unseen is the damage to an entire generation.
Republic of San Marino honours UNICEF and Belizean children’s group
NEW YORK, USA, 2 February 2007 – The Republic of San Marino last night honoured UNICEF for being a leading advocate for children over the past 60 years.
UNICEF ‘mini-reporters’ help launch anti-violence campaign in El Salvador
NEW YORK, USA, 19 January 2007 – No one is better qualified to report on children’s issues than children themselves. This was the idea behind the UNICEF-supported ‘mini-reporters’ news show in El Salvador, a pilot created to showcase children’s points of view on issues they face.
Sex tourism in Kenya: One girl’s story
MOMBASA, Kenya, 20 December 2006 – “If my father knew that I do this, he would kill me,” says Annie (not her real name). “But he does not provide enough for me and my daughter, so I have to do this to make some extra cash.”
Report reveals Kenyan child sex industry of ‘horrific’ magnitude
NEW YORK, USA, 19 December 2006 – A report on Kenyan sex tourism has revealed that up to 30 per cent of teenagers in some Kenyan coastal areas are involved in casual sex for cash.
Kenia’s story: Fighting sexual violence against children in Madagascar
DIEGO SUAREZ, Madagascar, 14 December 2006 – Outside the Diego Suarez hospital on the extreme northern tip of Madagascar, a savage wind is blowing off the Indian Ocean. Inside the run-down colonial building, a young girl lies on a drip looking withered and crumbled, the victim of a savage act.
Protecting young women from human trafficking in Viet Nam
LANG SON, Viet Nam, 7 December 2006 – Nguyen Thi Phuong cherishes her new role as a mother. At 45, she’s older than most Vietnamese women raising their first child, but that hardly matters.
‘Blood Diamond’ film screening highlights the plight of child soldiers
NEW YORK, USA, 1 December 2006 – Forced into armed combat in Sierra Leone during the 1990s, a young boy has been transformed into a soldier. His father struggles to free him from the dangerous life he has been pushed into.
Moldovan youths ‘act out’ with the Social Theatre Initiative
CHISINAU, Moldova, 21 November 2006 – A group of strangers watches silently as a 15-year-old girl is pressured into drinking vodka and doing drugs.
Angolan landmine survivors build a school and look to the future
ANDULO, Bié Province, Angola, 20 November 2006 – The community-built school in Andulo’s Bairro Agostinho Neto is a simple adobe structure but it has made its builders proud. Many of the villagers are landmine survivors for whom construction work is no easy task.
UN violence study launched in Latin America and the Caribbean
PANAMA CITY, Panama, 20 November 2006 – A landmark study on violence against children has been presented to government leaders and experts in Panama.
In Senegal, Executive Director sees community action to end female genital cutting
KEUR SIMBARA, Senegal, 13 November 2006 – On a visit to Senegal, Executive Director Ann M. Veneman has witnessed firsthand how UNICEF and its partners are using a community-based approach to empower women and children – notably on the issue of female genital mutilation, or cutting (FGM/C).
Shakira launches UNICEF regional campaign to protect children from violence
NEW YORK, USA, 7 November 2006 – At San Salvador’s Sports Palace, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and singer-songwriter Shakira greeted thousands of Salvadoran students who took part in a march against violence on Sunday.
Healthy-living education builds teens’ confidence across Viet Nam
LANG SON, Viet Nam, 3 November 2006 – Balancing a pair of watering pails with a stick across her shoulders, Ma Thi Nut navigates through a cabbage field, tilting to wet crops on both sides of a narrow path.
Youth centre helps spread messages of peace in Dili, Timor-Leste
DILI, Timor-Leste, 2 November 2006 – Elio Da Costa, 14, took a few steps back to study his handiwork and then moved forward again to add some finishing touches. He was busy painting messages of peace and non-violence on the walls of St. Joseph Minor Seminary here in the capital of Timor-Leste.
‘Stop the Violence’ campaign helps Kenyan teen escape sexual abuse
NAIVASHA, Kenya, 18 October 2006 – Watching Dorcas (not her real name) play hide-and-seek with the younger children, one sees a picture of a big, happy family. However, life for the 14-year-old girl, the first-born in a family of five children, has not always been picture perfect.
Lack of jobs in Moldova leaves children without parental care
RUBLENITA, Moldova, 17 October 2006 – At least 500,000 of Moldova’s 3.6 million people have left the country in search of work. Left behind are an estimated 150,000 to 270,000 children without either a mother or a father, and around 40,000 who are separated from both parents.
‘Stop Violence’ campaign in Kenya leads to increased reporting of abuses
NAIROBI, Kenya, 16 October 2006 – Two months after the ‘Stop Violence against Children’ campaign launched in Kenya, there has been a sharp increase in the number of reported cases of violence.
UN Secretary-General urges action to stop violence against children
NEW YORK, USA, 12 October 2006 – One of the most detailed studies ever produced about the effects of violence on children has been launched in New York. The UN Secretary-General’s Study on Violence against Children shows that millions around the world are being subjected to the worst forms of abuse with little or no protection.
Protecting children from sexual violence in Comoros
ANJOUAN, Comoros, 12 October 2006 – Fatima Bacar Abdallah is a woman with a mission – to rid her community of violence against children.
Helping children heal the scars of war in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley
KHERBET KANAFAR, Lebanon, 11 October 2006 – The sun shone on smiling young faces as a local country club was transformed into an Activity Fair for children living in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley last week.
Media projects help Moldovan youth offenders
LIPCANI, Moldova, 11 October 2006 – The Minors' Penitentiary in Lipcani, Moldova looks like – and is – a harsh place. It is the only youth penitentiary in the country.
UN Secretary-General's study urges action to stop violence against children
NEW YORK, USA, 12 October 2006 – One of the most detailed studies of violence against children ever conducted shows that millions around the world are being subjected to the worst forms of abuse with little or no protection.
Digital Diary: A youth anti-violence activist in the Philippines tells her story
NEW YORK, USA, 10 October 2006 – Cora Buala, a 19-year-old activist in the Philippines, spent several weeks using a MiniDisc recorder to document her thoughts and conversations on violence against children for UNICEF Radio.
Community non-violence workshops protect Palestinian children
NEW YORK, USA, 10 October 2006 – In the streets of Nablus in the West Bank, a group of Palestinian adolescents chat animatedly, on their way to a special workshop promoting non-violence.
Peer-counselling programme in Malaysia mentors at-risk children
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 9 October 2006 - For young people around the world, being a teenager is one of the most challenging times in life. When faced with difficult situations such as discrimination, substance abuse or violence, they need trusted role models for guidance.
Educating communities, protecting children from violence in Madagascar
MAHAJANGA, Madagascar, 6 October 2006 – Haingo (not her real name) is 16 years old. A few months ago, while her mother was at the market selling handicrafts and her younger brother was at school, she was raped in her own home.
A day of celebrating peace for Sri Lankan children caught in conflict
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, 26 September 2006 – It was a day of hope for Sri Lanka’s children. On 21 September, thousands of children celebrated the UN International Day of Peace amid an escalating conflict that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people across the country.
Madagascar’s children speak out for peace
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, 22 September 2006 – Dozens of children have taken part in the first celebration in Madagascar of the United Nations International Day of Peace. The annual observance on 21 September is intended as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence.
Dropping guns for books in Haiti
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, 21 September 2006 – A back-to-school campaign has brought new hope to the children of Cité Soleil, the seaside slum in the Haitian capital that has long been regarded as one of most violent neighbourhoods in the whole Western Hemisphere.
Sri Lankan children and families traumatized by continuing conflict
BATTICALOA, Sri Lanka, 13 September 2006 – At a relief camp in Batticaloa, eastern Sri Lanka, 14-year-old Sanjan recounted the ordeal he and his family had endured.
With prospects of peace in northern Uganda, displaced families yearn for home
GULU DISTRICT, Uganda, 7 September 2006 – For nearly 20 years, peace has been an elusive dream for 1.8 million people living in conflict-affected northern Uganda.
Milly’s story: A new life after a childhood caught in war
GULU, Uganda, 30 August 2006 – Milly Auma was taken from her community by the Lord’s Resistance Army when she was still in primary school. It was 10 years before she was able to escape – and by that time she had two children of her own. But instead of being welcomed when she returned home to Gulu, many in her village rejected her.
Education and awareness make progress against female genital cutting in Kenya
NAIROBI, Kenya, 24 August 2006 – In the North Eastern Province of Kenya, UNICEF is helping communities abandon the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), or cutting, which is still inflicted upon the vast majority of girls in the province.
Zhengzhou centre reaches out with care and support for street children
ZHENGZHOU, China, 24 August 2006 – For quite some time, the train station in Zhengzhou was 14-year-old Xie Pei's only home. After having problems with his family, he ran away and came to this big city, the capital of China’s most populated province, Henan.
Kenya’s ‘Stop the Violence’ campaign aims to protect children at risk
NEW YORK, USA, 22 August 2006 – The ‘Stop the Violence against Children’ campaign got a further boost this past weekend in Naivasha, Kenya, during the first-ever community fair promoting the initiative.
Indonesian communities bring child labourers back into the classroom
NGEPUNG, Indonesia, 21 August 2006 – Sigit Wicaksono, 14, sits in front of a computer, trying to figure out the popular Excel software programme. Mastering Microsoft and modems is a new experience for him. His hands are used to hard labour, not handling a mouse.
Sri Lankan schoolgirls killed and injured amid escalating violence
NEW YORK, USA, 16 August 2006 – Children are being displaced, injured and killed as the violence in Sri Lanka intensifies. Dozens of schoolgirls reportedly lost their lives and many more suffered injuries this week when bombs hit a compound in Mullaitivu, a district in the northern part of the country.
Alliance aims for universal birth registration in Latin America and Caribbean
BOGOTA, Colombia, 8 August 2006 – Birth registration provides crucial protection to children, proving their identity and nationality and protecting them from exploitation and abuse – including child labour, trafficking and early marriage.
In a Thai-Cambodian border town, protecting trafficked children and women
ARANYAPRATHET, Thailand, 7 August 2006 – Aranyaprathet market, which the Thais call Rong Glua, is a sprawling village of shops and light industry employing some 10,000 people on the Thai side of the Thailand-Cambodia border.
Report by UNICEF and The Body Shop highlights impact of domestic violence on children
NEW YORK, 1 August 2006 – At least 275 million children worldwide are exposed to violence in their homes, according to a report released by UNICEF and The Body Shop International today.
Former child combatants need alternatives to soldiering
LUMUMBASHI, Democratic Republic of Congo, 26 July 2006 – Seventeen-year-old Jean lives in a modest house in Lumumbashi. In a spare room, he works with colourful cloth to expertly tailor a shirt. But Jean would much rather be making war than clothes.
Security Council reviews progress made in implementing Resolution 1612
NEW YORK, USA, 25 July 2006 – The United Nations Security Council met yesterday to review progress made in the implementation of a year-old resolution to better protect children in armed conflicts.
Counselling eases the pain for troubled children in Kyrgyzstan
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, 13 July 2006 – Jyldyz, 12, recently visited her psychologist without an appointment. She came not as a client but as a friend, with a sense of pride, because she had something special to show: her sixth-grade diploma.
In Senegal, UNICEF and partners work to end the practice of child begging
DAKAR, Senegal, 14 July 2006 – Until recently, Serigne Oumar Diouf had been running a Koranic school here since 1962. “I would send children from my school out begging in the streets of Dakar for most of the day and would give them religious education in the mornings or evenings,” he says.
Sri Lanka campaign promotes ‘zero tolerance’ for child sex tourism
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, 13 July 2006 – Every year, over half a million tourists arrive in Sri Lanka drawn by its climate and coastline, and thousands of children, the majority of them boys, are lured into prostitution. Now, Sri Lanka has launched a two-year action plan to put an end to child sex tourism.
Life-skills training for young people displaced by violence in Timor-Leste
DILI, Timor-Leste, 12 July 2006 – When Jacinta dos Santos Guterres sought refuge at the São Jose Minor Seminary a month ago, she saw how frustrated children were at the camp for 1,500 people who fled their homes amid the recent violence in Timor-Leste.
Protecting children from the scourge of illicit small arms
NEW YORK, 10 July 2006 – The United Nations unanimously adopted a Programme of Action in 2001 committed to preventing, combating and eradicating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. Five years later – at an international conference that began on 26 June and concluded this past Friday – some 2,000 representatives of governments, international organizations and civil society gathered at United Nations headquarters in New York to review progress on the issue.
Battling an ancient tradition: Female genital mutilation in Ethiopia
FAFFAN, Ethiopia, 10 July 2006 – These days, Asmah, 6, and her friends Deca, Ferhia and Hassina are secluded from their community. Their legs are tied together and they are told to sleep as much as possible and not to wash; it will help heal their wounds, adults say.
West and Central African nations join forces to end child trafficking
ABUJA, Nigeria, 7 July 2006 – A multilateral accord against the trafficking of women and children was signed here yesterday, as UNICEF and its partners spearheaded a joint ministerial conference of 26 West and Central African countries, representatives of European governments, the International Labour Organization and the UN Office against Drugs and Crime.
Protecting the rights of China’s migrant children
SHI JIAZHUANG, China, 5 July 2006 – The most populous country in the world is on the move. It’s estimated that more than 10 per cent of China’s population has already left their villages and hometowns in search of a better life.
Nane Annan meets vulnerable girls in Freetown
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 3 July 2006 – Accompanying her husband, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, on his third visit to Sierra Leone, Nane Annan visited a UNICEF-supported centre for vulnerable girls.
More than 200 Sudanese boys and girls head home after release from armed groups
JULUD, Sudan, 29 June 2006 – After two years spent in military barracks, Asha (not her real name), a Sudanese girl of barely 16, is finally going home.
Building a future for street children in the Central African Republic
BANGUI, Central African Republic, 27 June 2006 – “I want children in Bangui to learn from my own experience as a street child,” said 24-year-old Victor Yoongo.
Marie Paule’s story: Surviving life on the streets of Kinshasa, DR Congo
KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, 22 June 2006 – Marie Paule is in her first year of secondary school. At 14, children her age are usually in their second or even third year. The young teenager may be late in catching up, but she has come a long way.
Goodwill Ambassador Tetsuko Kuroyanagi visits children affected by conflict in Côte d’Ivoire
NEW YORK, USA, 22 June 2006 – UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Tetsuko Kuroyanagi has concluded a visit to Côte d’Ivoire, where she experienced firsthand the situation facing Ivorian children afflicted by civil conflict, including former child soldiers.
Sri Lanka: Upsurge in violence affects children
NEW YORK, 16 June 2006 - Yesterday a landmine exploded under a crowded bus in the northern part of Sri Lanka, killing upwards of 60 people, 18 of them children. It was just one of many recent examples of the violent daily reality of life on this island nation.
Harm children no more: Why Africa must rediscover Soweto
SOWETO, South Africa, 15 June 2006 – I was born and raised in Soweto. My mother still lives here, a place whose heart and soul courses through my veins. Once the Soweto bug catches you, it never leaves.
Coping with a legacy of violence in Sierra Leone
MAKENI, Sierra Leone, 15 June 2006 – The decade-long war in Sierra Leone, which left 50,000 dead, was one of Africa’s most brutal. Atrocities against women and children were commonplace. The war turned children into drugged killing machines, giving them power beyond their age.
World Day Against Child Labour puts spotlight on harmful effects
NEW YORK, 9 June 2006 – Millions of children worldwide are engaged in some kind of labour, many of them working in hazardous conditions. To focus global attention on the urgent need to eradicate this practice, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has designated 12 June as World Day Against Child Labour.
UNICEF opens first child protection centre in Indonesia quake zone
NEW YORK, USA, 31 May 2006 – Just three days after a devastating earthquake struck Central Java in Indonesia, UNICEF has opened the first child protection centre in the quake zone.
Young people from around the world gather to help end violence against children
NEW YORK, USA, 26 May 2006 – Harry Lopez, 18, is a sharp dresser from Venezuela with a lot to say about why violence has a terrible effect on children.
Babies in Iran registered for key services, thanks to mobile units
HORMOZGAN, Iran, 17 May 2006 – Hormozgan Province in the south of Iran is one of the most deprived in the country. In the rural areas, people work either as subsistence farmers or as manual labourers. Many villages lie far from the nearest town, set deep into the mountains, with little access to social services, including birth registration.
UNICEF Executive Director speaks out on the ‘silent tragedy’ of child sexual trafficking
NEW YORK, USA, 26 APRIL 2006 – As the keynote speaker at a conference on the problem of child sexual trafficking, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to creating a protective environment for children at risk of exploitation and abuse.
In Southern Sudan, 250 demobilized child soldiers trade weapons for textbooks
KHORFULUS, Jonglei State, Sudan, 25 April 2006 – "We are determined to demobilize all child soldiers this year," announced Executive Director Benjamin Gimba of the Southern Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission at a gathering here today.
Stigma of AIDS leads to killing of an orphaned Kenyan boy
NEW YORK, USA, 21 April 2006 – The murder of a 15-year-old orphan stigmatized for living with AIDS has led hundreds of protestors to take to the streets of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. The boy, Isaiah Gakuyo, had lost both his mother and grandmother to AIDS-related diseases. He was living with an uncle who allegedly stabbed him to death with a pitch-fork because of his HIV status.
Putting children first: Nepal’s national vitamin A campaign proceeds despite unrest
KATHMANDU, Nepal, 19 April 2006 – Despite the escalating political turmoil that has hit Nepal in recent weeks, a national distribution of vitamin A capsules and de-worming tablets started today. About 3.3 million Nepalese children, ranging in age from six months to five years, are expected to receive vitamin A capsules as part of the two-day nationwide campaign to protect children’s health by boosting their immune systems.
UNICEF supports initiatives to tackle trafficking of women and children in Thailand
CHIANG RAI, Thailand, 17 April 2006 – Sometimes they smiled and sometimes they looked grim, but at all times the young children of this primary school in Northern Thailand remained captivated by the drama.
Reclaiming childhood: UNICEF and partners protect child labourers in Egypt
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, 11 April 2006 – It is mid-morning in one of Alexandria's bustling working-class neighbourhoods. In a small ironing and dry-cleaning shop, 14-year-old Ahmed is already hard at work. It has been one year since he began working here, joining the growing numbers of Egyptian children – an estimated 2.7 million between the ages of 6 and 14 – driven out of school and into the workforce by poverty or other circumstances.
Uzbekistan’s first Special Olympics challenges stigma against children with disabilities
NAVOI, Uzbekistan, 10 April 2006 – Over 90 young athletes from all over Uzbekistan came together in Navoi late last month to compete in a historic celebration, the country’s first-ever National Special Olympics.
International Day for Mine Awareness: A landmine-free world within reach
NEW YORK, USA, 4 April 2006 – Children could be free from the threat of landmines and other explosive remnants of war much sooner than previously thought. According to the ‘Landmine Monitor Report 2005’, between 15,000 and 20,000 people – at least 20 per cent of them children – are killed or maimed by these devices each year. But that number has been decreasing over the last decade.
Barbadian ‘Xchangers’ help youths adopt positive lifestyles and resolve conflicts
BARBADOS, 24 March 2006 - Violence among school children is a growing concern in Barbados, and UNICEF is helping peer groups tackle the problem. The Barbadian ‘Xchangers’ is one such group, which holds workshops and special events encouraging children to resolve conflict peacefully.
At Asia-Pacific birth registration conference, a pledge to reach every child
BANGKOK, Thailand, 17 March 2006 – In the shadow of Thailand’s remote northern foothills, thousands of people, many of them children, recently gathered at a human rights fair to claim their fundamental right to an identity.
Papua New Guinea’s juvenile justice reform is showing results
KUNDIAWA, Papua New Guinea, 10 March 2006 – Michael and his friend Samson were both 16 years old when their pursuit of adolescent mischief went too far. They got caught stealing plastic pipes in the town of Kundiawa in Papua New Guinea’s remote highlands. First they were beaten up by the police, then locked up in a prison cell, where they were bullied constantly by other inmates – all of them adults.
Sierra Leone: Children’s forum takes on trafficking and other concerns
MAKENI, Sierra Leone, 6 March 2006 – In the impoverished town of Makeni, in northern Sierra Leone, teenagers recently engaged in a lively discussion with UNICEF Representative for Sierra Leone Geert Cappelaere. Topping the agenda: the issue of child trafficking.
Liberia: A new start for children associated with fighting forces
BUCHANAN, Liberia, 1 March 2006 – The first of thousands of former child combatants have completed a UNICEF-backed rehabilitation programme to give them new skills for the future. One hundred and sixteen boys and girls have finished the nine-month training course in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.
First Arab regional workshop on combating child trafficking
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, 1 March 2006 – Participants at the first-ever workshop on combating child trafficking in the Arab world have called for the practice to be criminalized.
Former child soldiers still at risk as instability continues in Côte d’Ivoire
GNAKANZOU, Côte d’Ivoire, 22 February 2006 – Renewed violence in this West African nation divided by three years of civil and ethnic conflict has raised concerns that hundreds of demobilised former child combatants – those who have been returned to their communities – could once again be at risk of re-recruitment.
UN Independent Expert calls for ‘zero tolerance for violence against children’
NEW DELHI, India, 20 February 2006 – Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, the UN Secretary General’s Independent Expert on violence against children, says India can play a leading role in supporting the recommendations of the forthcoming global Study on the issue.
Helping orphans in Rwanda build a better future
KIGALI, Rwanda, 13 February 2006 – One of the greatest challenges facing Rwanda today is how to care for its massive population of orphans.
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Rima Salah visits war-afflicted northern Uganda
NEW YORK, USA, 6 February 2006 – “What I want most is to go home. Can you please help us to go home?” pleaded 15-year-old Gladys. She was speaking to UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Rima Salah, at a shelter for ‘night commuters’ in Kitgum Town, northern Uganda. The night commuters are children who walk many miles each night to sleep in shelters instead of in their own homes, to avoid being abducted by rebels.
Mitigating the threat of unexploded ordnance to children
PAKSONG, Laos, 2 February 2006 – Sanchon and Andy have still not fully recovered from the day a bomb exploded at their feet. The two children had been tending to their family’s livestock when Sanchon picked up a round object in the grass.
Archbishop says children bearing the brunt of Uganda’s conflict
NEW YORK, USA, 31 January 2006 – Children are bearing the brunt of continuing conflict in northern Uganda, Archbishop of Gulu John Baptist Odama said in an interview at UNICEF House.
Protection centres offer quake-affected children a chance to leave trauma behind
HASNABAD CAMP, BAGH, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, 20 January 2006 – “Abda talks very little since the earthquake – she doesn’t seem interested in going to the camp school or to play. She often cries for her mother and little sister,” says Akbarbi, the little girl’s grandmother.
Ethiopia: Steady increase in street children orphaned by AIDS
BAHR DAR, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, 20 January 2006 – “The street has been my home since I can remember. It’s been more than one year since I moved here (Bahr Dar) and all this time, I have not seen one good thing about living on the street. Everything is horrible,” says 14-year-old Mandefro Kassa, who grew up as an orphan on the streets of Woreta, a provincial town in Ethiopia.
Preventing violence and lowering dropout rate in Mexico City schools
MEXICO CITY, Mexico, 9 January, 2005 – In a classroom in Mexico’s capital groups of children slide together scraps of paper marked with letters. The aim is to spell out words – but the class is less about spelling than human values. One of the words is ‘violence’, and the teacher reminds the children it can often happen in their own homes.
Former camel jockeys reclaiming their lost childhood
NEW YORK, USA, 6 January 2006 – After passing through the final security check point at the international airport in Dubai, a group of Pakistani boys are going back home at long last. Like thousands of other children from poor countries they were sent by their parents – and sometimes even trafficked – to the United Arab Emirates to work as camel jockeys. Enduring harsh living conditions and long working hours were once their daily routines.
Philippines Senate action builds hope for children in jail
PASAY CITY, Philippines, 16 December 2005 – The Philippine Senate has passed the Juvenile Justice Bill by a unanimous vote of 21-0 on its third and final reading last week.
Pakistan earthquake: UNICEF renews its fight against measles
NEW YORK, USA, 7 December 2005 – As the harsh Himalayan winter looms in quake-affected Pakistan, UNICEF is fighting both disease and plummeting temperatures.
Comoros: Breaking the silence about child abuse
MUTSAMUDU, Comoros, 2 December 2005 – ‘Young raped girl dies after her delivery’ read the headline of an article in the weekly Comorian newspaper ‘Kashkazi’. The article told the story of an 11-year-old girl who had been raped by her teacher at a Koranic school, became pregnant and died soon after giving birth. UNICEF Comoros conducted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the young girl’s death.
Psychosocial care designed to help children affected by ongoing conflict
JERUSALEM, West Bank, 29 November 2005 - In Hebron’s Al Mutalabi school, boys aged between 5 and 14 are busy making paper masks and traditional ‘Tarbouch’ hats in the courtyard.
Ending female genital mutilation and cutting in Senegal
MATAM, Senegal, 24 November 2005 – The international non-governmental organization Tostan is working in Senegal to create dialogue within communities about female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) through a holistic, basic education programme, conducted in local languages. As a result more than 1600 villages have collectively ended the practice of FGM/C – representing more than 30 per cent of the practicing population.
UNICEF-supported centres protect children affected by conflict
BOUAKÉ, Côte d’Ivoire, 20 November 2005 – Children are bearing the brunt of a three-year-long civil conflict that has divided this west African nation. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire’s second largest city, which has been the scene of some of the worst clashes.
France’s Foreign Minister donates 2.5 million euros to UNICEF during his visit to quake-affected Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, 21 November 2005 – France’s Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy has just completed an emergency visit to quake-affected Pakistan and donated 2.5 million euros to UNICEF. During a press conference in Islamabad, Mr. Douste-Blazy stated that, “France will continue its assistance to Pakistan in relief and rehabilitation efforts to help quake survivors.”
Sudan: Religious leader speaks out against female genital mutilation/cutting
“As I was discharging my duties, I heard loud cries and wailing coming from a hut. We abandoned our lesson and rushed to the noise. It was the hut of Sheikh Hajj al Basher, a respectable, good-hearted man who was married to a woman by the name of Zainab. Four years after their marriage, Allah had granted them a baby girl, whom they named Amna.
Special screening of ‘Innocent Voices’ – an award-winning film about a child caught up in war
NEW YORK, 7 October 2005 – The award-winning film ‘Innocent Voices’, depicting the life of a boy in El Salvador during the civil war, was shown at a special gala screening held at United Nations headquarters, introduced by UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman.
New report says children with disabilities in Eastern Europe often face a bleak existence
NEW YORK, 5 October 2005 – According to a new report released today by UNICEF, children with disabilities who live in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS) often face a bleak existence behind institutional walls, isolated from their families and communities, and suffering from stigma and discrimination.
UNICEF-IPU child protection guide now available in Hindi
NEW DELHI, 3 October 2005 – A Hindi translation of the joint UNICEF/Inter-Parliamentary Union publication ‘Child Protection: A Handbook for Parliamentarians’ is now available in India.
Moldova: New options for disabled children
On 5 October UNICEF’s Innocenti Research Centre will release their latest report, entitled ‘Children and Disability in Transition in CEE/CIS’. The report examines the situation of children in the CEE/CIS region who have a variety of disabilities.
Freed from the sex trade, girls get a new start
NEW YORK, 26 August 2005 – Thousands of girls and young women pour into Manila every year in search of work to support their family. Lured by the promise of a better life, many fall prey to the city’s sex industry.
New moves to help children caught up in armed conflict
NEW YORK, 26 August 2005 – The United Nations has passed a new resolution that could help protect the millions of children affected by armed conflict around the world. It will establish a working group to gather information on some of the worst violations of children’s rights during armed conflict and report directly to the Secretary-General. It also requires both governments and armed groups to come up with time-bound plans of action to end these grave violations.
Swaziland: One girl’s personal account of abuse
The violent abuse of children is a crime no matter where or when it occurs. But in the countries of Eastern and Southern Africa, violence has a second, even darker dimension: Sexual assault is often the conduit for the spread of the HIV virus. Disturbingly, most of the abusers are people whose role is to protect and care for children – such as teachers and family members. Children who are the victims of sexual abuse risk being stigmatized if they speak out against their abusers.
Surviving abduction in Uganda's civil conflict
GULU DISTRICT, Uganda, 19 July 2005 –Janet recalls with horror what happened to her seven years ago. She was travelling with her mother when they were surprised and surrounded by armed militia belonging to Uganda’s rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Janet, only 12 at the time, was abducted.
Violence Against Children: UNICEF creates support network in Moldova
CHISINAU, Moldova, 28 June 2005 – UNICEF-supported efforts to reform Moldova’s approach to child protection are part of a global drive to protect young victims of abuse. The issue will be highlighted at the Consultation on Violence against Children in Europe and Central Asia, set to take place in Slovenia in early July.
Children speak up against violence
CAIRO, 29 June 2005 – Children’s voices are being heard loud and clear at the UN-sponsored Conference on Violence Against Children here in Cairo. Twenty-seven adolescent boys and girls spoke up in front of more than 200 delegates to proclaim that any form of violence used against children must end now, no matter whether it occurs at home, at school, or in the streets.
UN conference in Cairo calls for an end to violence against children
CAIRO, 28 June 2005 – Delegates from 22 countries are taking part in a United Nations-sponsored conference in Cairo which calls for an end to violence against children in the Middle East and northern Africa. Discussions are focussed on how children are affected by violence in four settings: the home & family, schools, the workplace, and in the streets.
Where the streets are golden: Yemeni families traffic their boys to Saudi Arabia hoping for a better life.
At dusk, on the border between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, it is hard to know if more traffic passes through or around the gate. Certainly there are more jeeps turning on to the tracks leading through the scrub and stones of the desert than are passing the flimsy post manned by sweating soldiers.
Child camel jockeys return home
LAHORE, Pakistan, 28 June 2005 - Fifteen-year-old Ghulam Sarwar spent almost half of his young life racing camels far away from his home in Pakistan. His parents sent him to the United Arab Emirates seven years ago to work as a camel jockey. In exchange, the family received a recruitment fee, and Ghulam was paid a few dollars a month.
Georgia: Juveniles are subjected to unfair imprisonment
TBILISI, GEORGIA, 10 June 2005 - Aleko Kamushadze stole an accordion and a drum from the basement of his school and now he's serving an 18-month sentence, much of it locked up with dangerous criminals including rapists and murderers.
Darfur: A family's struggle in Finna
JEBEL MARRA, Sudan, 7 June 2005 – “I was happy in my previous life. We had a farm, cattle, water and a safe life,” says Hawa, a middle-aged mother of five. Her home region, Jebel Marra, was once a paradise: abundant with fruit, popular with tourists and considered an important farming region for Darfur - and all of Sudan. Now the region, including Finna, an SLA (Sudanese Liberation Army)-controlled area in Jebel Marra, is described as dry and harsh and abundant with despair. UNICEF is the only humanitarian aid agency supporting Finna and its struggling residents, including Hawa.
ECHO and UNICEF: Tackling sexual violence in Burundi
MUYINGA, Burundi, 6 June 2005 – Head bowed, a 13-year-old girl tearfully recounts one of the most horrifying moments of her short life. Her mother listens in shock.
Young people speak out at regional consultation on violence
ISLAMABAD, 30 May 2005 – The UN Study on Violence Against Children is gathering inputs from young people, experts and officials, through consultations in every region around the globe. Two of the youth leaders who spoke at the most recent consultation – held 19-21 May in Islamabad, Pakistan – were Noor Jahan from Afghanistan and Ugen from Bhutan.
India: Project helps child labourers return to school
DHARMAPURI DISTRICT, Tamil Nadu, India, 26 May 2005 – Their young hands should have held pencils and crayons. Instead, they touched deadly chemicals in matchbox factories, handled worms in silk farms, or were scalded by hot tea while serving customers in tea stalls. Instead of going to school, these child labourers lost precious months or years of their childhood earning paltry wages to support their families.
Violence against children: ‘Xchange’ strives to end the scourge
BELIZE CITY, 16 May 2005 – Marleni Cuellar, 20, has dedicated herself to building a new youth movement called ‘Xchange’ which is launching in Belize and the rest of the Caribbean Region over the next few months. Xchange is all about building harmony and commitment against violence one person at a time, through musical events, dramas and other participatory methods.
Violence in Colombia displaces indigenous families
NEW YORK, 29 April 2005 - Intense fighting in the Cauca region of Colombia between FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) guerrillas and the Colombian Army region since 14 April has displaced more than 6,000 people, including more than 3,000 children.
Arab students chat about violence in schools
RAMALLAH, West Bank, oPt, 14 April 2005 - On a hot sunny afternoon, two Palestinian school children were seated in a tiny square room, behind two computers. They were getting ready to participate in the internet chat on violence in schools that took place on 11 April.
Ecuador begins to eradicate child labour
QUITO, Ecuador, 13 April 2005 - Following a negative Human Rights Watch report in 2002, Ecuador’s government has made good on a promise to address the growing problem of child labour in the country. In 2004, the Labour Ministry appointed teams of inspectors to monitor workplaces in 22 provinces around the country and has continued to strengthen its national surveillance system.
Parliamentarians meeting: Child protection a major issue
NEW YORK, 6 April 2005 – On day three of her visit to the Philippines for the annual International Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy urged lawmakers to focus on the factors that make children such easy targets for exploitation. Later in the day she received an award on behalf of UNICEF, presented by the Philippine Government.
Nearly 3,000 former child soldiers returned to civilian life
NEW YORK, 4 April 2005 – UNICEF has confirmed that over 2,900 former child soldiers in Ituri District, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, have been returned to civilian life since September 2004.
UNICEF urges lawmakers to use power to protect children
MANILA, 4 April 2005 – This week UNICEF is challenging hundreds of lawmakers from around the world to use their power to alleviate the suffering of millions of children who are subjected to violence and exploitation.
Former child soldiers reclaim their lost childhood
KPANDROMA, Ituri District, DR Congo, 30 March 2005 - At a UNICEF-supported demobilization and community reintegration centre in Kpandroma, Congolese children, some as young as eight, are putting on a play to re-enact the ordeal they endured as pawns of armed groups.
Study examines the situation of children with disabilities in Uzbekistan
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, 29 March 2005 – Uzbekistan is taking a closer look at the situation of its children living with disabilities.
Children bear the brunt of Uganda’s 19-year conflict
KAMPALA, Uganda, 23 March 2005 - As the conflict in northern Uganda carries onto its 19th year, violence, displacement and poverty continue to exacerbate an already strained humanitarian situation.
Colombian government reviews commitment to children
BOGOTÁ, Colombia, 9 March 2005 - Top-ranking government officials attended a meeting today at the Tequendama Hotel in Bogotá to review more than 1000 proposed national and regional development plans and determine whether they adquately address children’s issues. The meeting was organized by the office of the Attorney General of Colombia with support from UNICEF.
Violence against children is a ‘blemish on the face of nations’
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, 11 March 2005 - In a speech delivered here today to the Caribbean Regional Consultation on Violence against Children, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Rima Salah applauded having young people’s voices heard. “The impact of violence on the lives of children is a blemish on the face of nations in all parts of the world – rich and poor countries, in the South and the North,” she said.
Nigerian officials rescue more than 100 children from child traffickers
LAGOS, Nigeria, 9 March 2005 - Law enforcement officials in Nigeria are fighting back against child traffickers, as new laws and a more aggressive awareness campaign take effect.
Armed conflict: ‘The world must do more for children!’
NEW YORK, 7 March 2005 - The world needs to do more to transform words into actions in order to protect children during armed conflicts, says the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu.
UNICEF helps the victims of Beslan
BESLAN, Russian Federation, 3 March 2005 – When the Beslan school siege took place in September 2004, UNICEF recognized that former hostages and members of the affected community would need long-term psychological and emotional support.
UNICEF urges world to stop sexual violence against girls and women
NEW YORK, 28 February 2005 - Ten years ago, at the World Conference on Women held in Beijing, 189 countries agreed to improve women's equality. World leaders are set to gather again - this time in New York - to review progress made to date. UNICEF plans on taking this opportunity to steer the world’s attention towards the systematic rape and sexual violence against women and girls during armed conflict.
Enough silence! Stop violence against children!
NEW YORK, 23 February 2005 – Young people from around the world spoke out to help stop violence against children, during UNICEF’s Voices of Youth e-discussion event on the topic ‘Enough silence! Make your voices heard about violence against children.’
UNICEF says Security Council can perform a vital protective role for children in armed conflict
NEW YORK, 23 February 2005 - UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Rima Salah today appealed to the United Nations Security Council to do more to protect the rights of children affected by armed conflict.
Desmond Tutu helps launch campaign for Universal Birth Registration
NEW YORK, 22 February 2005 - Every year the births of some 48 million children go unrecorded. As a result, they are often denied access to health care and education, and they have far less protection against illegal adoption, forced recruitment or trafficking. These unregistered children are often unable to prove their identity, and their rights may go unrealized.
Senegalese rap artist Didier Awadi helps promote birth registration
DAKAR, Senegal, 22 February 2005 - There’s an unusual sight in Ms. Ndiaye’s elementary school class in Dakar, Senegal, today. Didier Awadi, a Senegalese rapper, points to the words carefully written on the blackboard, and encourages the students to shout them out.
Child soldiers trapped in vicious cycle of war
KAMPALA, Uganda, 16 February 2005 - Many former child soldiers in Uganda who have been freed from rebel militia groups have been drawn again into armed conflict – this time with the national army.
Zero tolerance for female genital mutilation
NEW YORK, 4 February 2005 - Two million girls are at risk of female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) every year. The International Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation on 6 February 2005 promotes the rights of women and children with the aim of eliminating all forms of FGM/C.
A personal plea for a mine-free world
NAIROBI, 6 December 2004 - At the Summit for a Mine Free World, held here on 29 Nov - 4 Dec, UNICEF joined forces with hundreds of international organizations, global leaders and committed individuals, to call for a world free of landmines.
Clearing deadly mines from southern Sudan
YIROL, Sudan, New York, New York, 1 December 2004 – Sudan is one of the ten most landmine-affected countries in the world. A truce in the long-running civil conflict (which is separate from and far predates the crisis in Darfur) has now allowed the United Nations to begin work in southern Sudan, to clear landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Children account for half of landmine casualties in Cambodia
NEW YORK, 24 November 2004 – UNICEF will join hundreds of international organizations, global leaders and individuals to demand a ban on landmines at the Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World from November 29 to December 3.
Arab parliamentarians discuss child rights
NEW YORK, 22 November 2004 – Members of parliament from 13 Arab countries have convened in Amman, Jordan, to discuss how they can help strengthen the realization of children’s rights. The meeting is being held in conjunction with the 15th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and is being hosted by the Arab Parliamentary Union.
UN independent expert pleased with response to child violence study
NEW YORK, 3 November, 2004 - Response to a global study on Violence against Children has so far been excellent, according to the study’s leader, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro.
UNICEF urges the world to join Mine Ban Treaty
NEW YORK, 1 November 2004 - Thousands of children all over the world are being killed, injured and orphaned by landmines. In many countries children account for one in five landmine victims.
Queen Noor of Jordan meets Colombian children maimed by mines
BOGOTA/NEW YORK, 28 October 2004 – Four weeks ahead of the World Summit on Landmines in Nairobi, Kenya, Queen Noor of Jordan visited Colombia to meet with children maimed by landmines. Her visit helped mark the destruction of the government’s landmine stockpiles. Some 23,000 mines were destroyed in a simultaneous explosion at the capital Bogota and the northern city of Barranquilla.
Ricky Martin speaks out against sex tourism
New York, 20 October 2004 - Pop singer Ricky Martin appealed to the United Nations Wednesday for international help to fight sex tourism. “It is an organized crime,” he told a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York. “We must mobilize on this subject. There are many people who are in denial, and even the victims don’t know that they are victims.”
Girls and women terrorized by widespread rape in Darfur
DARFUR/NEW YORK, 20 October 2004 - UNICEF has received further reports that armed militias are continuing to rape girls and women in Darfur as a tactic to terrorize and humiliate individuals and communities.
Expert says children need to feel safe to cope with traumatic experiences
NEW YORK, 24 September 2004 – It is a shocking and dismaying fact that children have been, and are being, directly targeted in situations of armed conflict – witness the terrible recent school siege in Beslan, Russia. In other crisis situations, from Darfur to Haiti, children endure or see traumatic situations.
Web dialogue: ‘Creating a Place for Us’
NEW YORK, 9 August 2004 – Beginning today, youth from around the globe will come together for a web dialogue on Voices of Youth, UNICEF’s interactive website for young people, to talk about their experiences with out-of-home living and care, the importance of trying to help children remain with their families when possible, and what they would like to see change.
Jordan’s police are child-friendly
AMMAN, 6 August 2004 – The sign on the brand-new police office here in Jordan’s capital reads ‘Public Security Directorate’ – not a phrase which most people would normally associate with child rights. And yet the ‘Family Protection Department’ (FPD) of the police deals with exactly that.
Bellamy condemns sexual violence against Darfur’s women and children
NEW YORK, 26 July 2004 – UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy recently visited Darfur. While there, she heard many testimonies from women and children describing widespread rape and sexual violence.
Child trafficking symposium in Japan calls for immediate action
TOKYO, 21 May 2004 - Japan's National Committee for UNICEF sponsored an international symposium on child trafficking today. The aim of the symposium was to raise awareness of ongoing European intiatives to combat trafficking.
North American travel industry joins UNICEF in the fight against child exploitation
Her Majesty, Queen Sylvia of Sweden, reaffirmed her commitment to the fight to protect children from sexual predators today during a conference on how to protect children from sexual exploitation organized by UNICEF.
Parliamentarians receive handbook on child protection
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Jessica Lange was at the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s 110th International Assembly in Mexico City today, 20 April 2004, to launch the Handbook for Parliamentarians on Child Protection, a joint UNICEF/IPU report. Ms. Lange called on parliamentarians to live up to their responsibilities as legislators and become champions for children.
All children deserve protection from exploitation and abuse
The rights of millions of children around the world are violated every day. It is estimated that over 2 million children are exploited through prostitution and pornography and 1.2 million children are trafficked every year – many of these children are eventually forced into the sex industry.
