News in Brief 3 February 2023
- Ukraine: UN aid convoys deliver lifesaving relief to war-ravaged east
- WHO launches bid to tackle inequalities behind breast cancer threat
- Switzerland: UN rights panel hails asylum decision for Kurdish refugees
As the number of children reportedly killed by Iranian security forces in relation to ongoing protests rises to at least 23, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child issued a statement on Monday condemning the killings, noting that hundreds more have been injured, detained and tortured during the Government crackdown.
A “staggering” average of 71 verified grave violations a day, are committed against children by parties to conflict in more than 30 settings across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.
When he went to school for the first time, five-year-old Kailash Satyarthi saw a child cobbler, sitting outside the school gate.
Seeing the impoverished boy having to work and unable to go to class, gave him a new perspective, and set him on the road to becoming a passionate child rights advocate.
Kailash Satyarthi has been at the forefront of the global movement to end child slavery for decades now.
Three senior United Nations officials in the Middle East are calling for the release of Palestinian children from Israeli-run prisons and detentions centres, saying they are at particular risk of COVID-19 infection.
Although the world has made historic gains over the past three decades in improving children’s lives, urgent action is required if the poorest children are to feel the impact, a new UN report published on Monday warns.
A recap of Monday’s stories in brief: Uneven child rights progress; over 10 million Afghans severely food insecure; Middle East nuclear weapons conference gets underway; Social media posts increasing child detention cases; UN and partners commit to universal health.
Around 7.2 million children are detained around the world, 5.4 million of them in institutions, rights experts said on Monday, highlighting “aggressive” State counterterrorism measures for the spike in youngsters held for alleged links with armed conflict or national security concerns based on their social media posts.
Since its adoption 30 years ago, the milestone Convention of the Rights of the Child and its near universal membership has created “unprecedented international solidarity around children’s rights,'' the Secretary-General said at a commemorative event an UN Headquarters on Wednesday.