Category: Children and Wellbeing

Source: Save The Children

[Design: Cameron Kirkcaldy/ Save the Children]

 

RAMALLAH, 29 Feb 2024 –Rising numbers of Palestinians including children detained without charge in the Israel military system since 7 October have reported facing violence and abuse while imprisoned, Save the Children said.

Three organisations tracking the detention of children in the occupied Palestinian territory said they have gathered child testimonies – seen by Save the Children – showing that levels of violence have increased since stricter rules were introduced in October blocking visits from parents or lawyers. Some children have reported broken bones and beatings.

The Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, a prisoners’ organisation set up in 1998, estimates that about 460 children have been detained in about five months. This is a jump from previous estimates of about 500-700 Palestinian children being held in Israeli military detention each year.

The Palestinian Commission has said that about 9,000 Palestinians were being held in Israeli jails as of the end of January compared to 5,250 before 7 October but it did not have updated numbers due to restricted access to detainees.   

 The Palestinian Commission also said that conditions for children held in prisons have significantly deteriorated, with children who used to be housed with five detainees now sharing rooms with about 10 other detainees including adults, putting them at risk.

Other child testimonies gathered by the organisations Defense for Children International (DCI) and YMCA – also shared with  Save the Children – told of starvation, abuse and inhumane treatment with some children released with injuries and blood stained clothing.

 DCI, a non-government organisation that promotes and protects the human rights of Palestinian children, reported one incident in which Israeli forces made children hold an Israeli flag before ordering them back to their cells hunched over, beating and cursing them as they walked.  

 In another incident, a YMCA social and psychological specialist was told by one of the children released in an exchange deal in November that he was left terrified when he was called from his cell to be released, and the prison guards made him believe that he was going to be executed. 

Recently, UN experts said they have received credible allegations of Palestinian women and girls arbitrarily executed in Gaza, and of inhumane and degrading treatment of girls in detention, including being beaten, denied menstruation pads, food and medicine.

 According to the UN, Palestinian women and girls in detention have also reportedly been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others threatened with rape and sexual violence.  

In December, reports emerged of Palestinian boys as young as 15 being detained, stripped and moved from a school in Gaza to unknown locations.

 Human rights groups have reported that new regulations implemented last October imposed even stricter limits on family and humanitarian visits. Lawyers were initially prohibited from visiting the prisons and now face restrictions preventing them from visiting children regularly.

 The International Committe of the Red Cross has said that its humanitarian visits to Palestinian prisoners were suspended. 

Israel does not release numbers of detainees in its military system and is the only country in the world that automatically and systematically prosecutes children in military courts.  

 Save the Children has said the practice of detaining children was a long-standing human rights concern. The child rights organisation has repeatedly called for the government of Israel to end the detention of Palestinian children under military law and their prosecution in military courts.  

During the 7 October attacks on Israel, children were abducted and held hostage in Gaza, causing severe emotional and mental distress. Last November saw three exchanges of prisoners from Israeli jails with a total of 112 hostages released so far, including 78 Israeli women and children.

Jason Lee, Save the Children’s Country Director in the occupied Palestinian territory said:  

“What we know about how these children are being treated is unacceptable, but what we don’t know could be even worse. The government of Israel’s blanket secrecy has left hundreds of families across Gaza and the occupied West Bank completely in the dark, unaware of where their children are, whether they are safe and the conditions and treatment that they are being subjected to.   

“There’s no justification for beating and stripping children, dehumanising and terrorising them. The abuse of Palestinian children in military detention was a child protection crisis before 7 October, and it has only become worse. With the world’s focus understandably on the unparalleled horrors children are facing in Gaza, we must not let abuse of children in the West Bank go unnoticed. There must be an end to this abusive military detention system and a definitive ceasefire now.”  

A Save the Children’s report in July 2023 showed that even prior to October 7, Palestinian children arrested by Israeli forces faced immense emotional and physical abuse, with four out of five – 86% –  of them being beaten, and 69% strip-searched. 

Save the Children has been providing essential services and support to Palestinian children since 1953. Save the Children’s team in the occupied Palestinian territory has been working around the clock, prepositioning vital supplies to support people in need, and working to find ways to get assistance into Gaza.      

Notes to editors

The Commission for Detainees and Ex Detainees is a prisoner’s organisation established in 1998 as part of the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo Accords, and formerly known as the Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs. The agency is responsible for the welfare and well-being of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and their families. A Commission official told Save the Children that there have been more than 7,000 cases of detentions since October 7, including 2,000-3,000 people detained from Gaza.

For further enquiries please contact:

Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409

Randa Ghazy, Randa.Ghazy@savethechildren.org

Source: Save The Children

RIO DE JANEIRO, 28 February 2024 — International child rights organisation Save the Children is opening a new Country Office in Brazil, working with local partners to place children’s rights at the forefront of the national agenda and improve the lives of those impacted by violence, poverty, and climate change.

The new Save the Children Brazil Country Office will build upon the work Save the Children has already supported in Brazil for more than 20 years, while continuing to collaborate closely with local organisations to leverage local expertise and implement locally based solutions for children. Save the Children’s work will, in particular, prioritise critical issues such as migration, education, the climate crisis, food security, gender and racial equality and protection.

Alessandro Tuzza, Save the Children’s Country Director for Brazil, said:

“Establishing this office marks an exciting new chapter for our work in Latin America and the Caribbean. Save the Children has supported local organisations in Brazil for more than 20 years. This new office will allow us to scale up our collaboration with local partners and our advocacy efforts.

“Brazil, while ranking as the seventh most populous country globally, unfortunately also ranks among the most violent places for children to grow up. Millions of children here are facing poverty and violence, are out of school, and live in areas vulnerable to climate and environmental risks. By collaborating with local partners, government, and communities, we aim to shift the power to those with first-hand experience and insight into their communities. Together, we can build a more resilient environment for children, ensuring they can thrive and reach their full potential.”

Children in Brazil are growing up amid high levels of poverty and violence, limiting their access to crucial services such as healthcare, education, and protection, with the country ranked as the sixth most violent globally, according to recent data from ACLED.

Adding to these challenges, the climate crisis is also taking a toll on children in Brazil. About three in four children across the country – a staggering 40 million children[1] – have been found to be vulnerable to environmental degradation and climate change.

Save the Children has been working with local partners in Brazil since the 1990s to help promote and defend children’s rights. By enhancing its local presence in Brazil, Save the Children aims to provide even greater support to its existing partners while forging new alliances to address the evolving challenges faced by children in the country.

Marina Araújo, from Save the Children’s local partner Cedeca Ceará, said:

“In recent years, Brazil has experienced a very serious social, economic, and political context marked by a rise in poverty, violence, and hate speech.

“The scrapping and underfunding of public social welfare programs, as well constraints on civil society’s ability to participate in democratic processes are both contributing to a concerning situation for children’s rights across the country. Given this, Save the Children’s work to guarantee the absolute priority of the rights of children and defend their rights is essential.”

As Brazil gears up to host both the G20 Summit this year and COP30 in 2025, Save the Children Brazil is calling on world leaders to ensure children have a seat at the table when making decisions that affect them. The child rights organisation is committed to amplifying children’s voices, particularly those from marginalized communities, and supporting them to actively participate in shaping solutions and influencing decisions made by both global and local leaders.

Save the Children is present in more than 120 countries, working every day to guarantee children’s rights to health, education, and protection against violence, to ensure that children have a better future. We ensure that their needs are met and that their voices are heard. 

ENDS

Notes to editor:

[1] UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell visits Brazil to highlight the impact of poverty and climate change on children

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 For further enquiries please contact:

–          Samantha Halyk, Senior Global Media Manager, Samantha.halyk@savethechildren.org (based in London)

–          Maria Gabriela Alvarado, Regional Media Manager  maria.alvarado@savethechildren.org (based in Panama)

Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409

Please also check our Twitter account @Save_GlobalNews for news alerts, quotes, statements and location Vlogs.

Source: Save The Children

Food is so scarce in Gaza that reports are beginning to emerge of children dying due to a lack of food. Photo by Bisan/Save the Children 

UNITED NATIONS, 27 February 2024 – Time is running out for children in Gaza as reports emerge that they are starting to die because of malnutrition[i]while Israel continues to impose restrictions preventing the safe delivery of aid, Save the Children said today.  

With the collapse in communication as well as aid –  particularly in northern areas of Gaza where civilians are at highest risk of starvation –  the stories reported are likely the tip of the iceberg.  

Ahead of the UN Security Council convening a session on food insecurity in Gaza today, Save the Children reiterated calls for an immediate, definitive ceasefire and the ramping up of safe, unfettered aid access, with the lives of 1.1 million more children hanging by a thread. Already, more than 12,500 children have been killed in nearly five months of war, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. 

Since the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel nearly five weeks ago to “take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian aid” as part of its provisional measures to protect Palestinians in Gaza from the risk of genocide, the number of aid trucks entering the Strip has dropped by more than a third, according to UN data.  

Frequent border closures, ongoing Israeli air strikes, continued fighting, insecurity, and demonstrators blocking aid trucks from entering Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing are impeding aid efforts, including food delivery. In some cases, trucks with food supplies are waiting at the border so long that vegetables are rotten once they arrive in Gaza.  

At least two aid workers were killed in the last week alone, bringing the total number of aid workers killed under Israeli bombardment to over 172, according to data from the UN and Association of International Development Agencies.   

Meanwhile, needs are soaring, with one in six children in northern Gaza acutely malnourished, and the UN reporting that some food stocks may run out in the coming two days. 

Over the past week, reports have emerged of families who survived Israel’s bombardment in northern Gaza saying they were unable to find anything to eat and so fled to Rafah in southern Gaza. This comes as Israeli officials declare that an expanded military incursion in Rafah – where more than 1.3 million Palestinians are sheltering – is imminent.  

Any denial of humanitarian assistance is a Grave Violation against children, according to the UN Security Council’s 1999 Resolution on Children in Armed Conflict. It is also tantamount to collective punishment and illegal under international humanitarian law. Any use of starvation as a method of warfare is strictly prohibited and codified as a war crime under international law. 

Jason Lee, Save the Children’s Country Director in the occupied Palestinian territory, said:  

“What we are witnessing in Gaza is a mass killing of children in slow motion because there is no food left and nothing getting to them. They are dying because the world has failed to protect them, and now families are fleeing to Israel’s next military target to avoid starvation, caught in a death trap.  

“The ICJ in its provisional measures order ruled that some of Israel’s actions constitute a “plausible claim of genocidal acts”. The international community continues to be bound by their obligations under international humanitarian law, and the ICJ ruling, to ensure Palestinians are protected.  

“Whenever we learn lessons from the past, we resolve to never again let “atrocity crimes” unfold.  The test is now right in front of us. Children are being starved while trucks of food are denied access and continued fighting prevent delivery of the little aid coming into Gaza. We are failing that test. Unless action is taken by the international community, to uphold their responsibilities under the Geneva Conventions and prevent the most serious crimes of international concern – including the use of starvation as a method of warfare – history will and should judge us all.” 

Save the Children is calling for an immediate, definitive ceasefire to save and protect the lives of children in Gaza, and for the parties to the conflict to adhere to International Humanitarian Law, uphold the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling and refrain from actions which undermine the provisional measures indicated by the ICJ.  

Save the Children is calling for safe unfettered humanitarian aid access for a massive scale-up in humanitarian aid supplies and the personnel needed to deliver it, particularly in northern Gaza. Unfettered access means sufficient goods, including commercial, aid, humanitarian personnel, and fuel can safely reach children and families across Gaza, as well as the opening of all access points.  

Save the Children is also calling for all donor governments and the rest of the international community to resume and scale up funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) as quickly as possible.     

Save the Children has been providing essential services and support to Palestinian children impacted by the ongoing conflict since 1953. Save the Children’s team in the occupied Palestinian territory has been working around the clock, prepositioning vital supplies to support people in need, and working to find ways to get assistance into Gaza.       

ENDS

Source: Save The Children

VIENTIANE, 27 February 2023 – In a year that saw a rise to at least 5 million cases and 5,500 deaths from dengue fever globally across most continents, Vientiane – the capital of Laos – reported a drop of nearly 60% of cases of the mosquito-borne illness between 2023 and 2022, which may in part be due to a new pilot initiative between Ministry of Health, Save the Children and the World Mosquito Program (WMP).

Mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacteria – which makes it significantly harder for the mosquito to transmit viruses such as dengue to humans – were released as part of a project in two districts of Vientiane between April and August 2023. The aim is for these mosquitos to breed with the local mosquito population until, over several generations, almost all mosquitos have the Wolbachia bacteria, and cases of dengue significantly reduce. The Wolbachia bacteria is natural and harmless to ecosystems and humans.

Last year there was a decrease in dengue cases in Vientiane, with reports of more than 6,500 cases between January and November 2023 compared to around 16,000 cases in 2022. While it’s too early to attribute the change in cases to the Wolbachia project, a similar WMP Wolbachia project in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, found dengue incidence also decreased by 77% and dengue hospitalisations were down by 86%, according to a randomised control trial of the Indonesia project, published in 2021.

Between January and November 2023, there were around 13,500 cases of dengue in children aged under 18, out of a total of around 35,500 cases. This means children accounted for about 40% of dengue cases in the country, according to the Laos Ministry of Health.

Children are particularly vulnerable to dengue as their immune systems are weaker, and they tend to play outside where there’s less protection against mosquitos. Common symptoms of dengue include fever, rash, nausea and aches and pains. Bang-on, 66, a nursery volunteer from Laos, said:

“Blood comes out from gums or nose and children have trouble breathing. They breathe heavily and also get a fever. Treatment is difficult. Some need respiratory assistance because they cannot breathe. That’s why we’re determined to prevent.”

Dengue impacts many areas of children’s lives, including their education, Bang-on said:

“We feel bad for the children who cannot go to school. Parents lose their time too as they must care for children at the hospital and they lose their money. They lose everything.”

Children are also at risk when their caregivers fall ill with dengue. Milly, a nine-year-old girl from Laos, was scared when her mother contracted dengue, said:

“I was worried that my mother wouldn’t be able to leave the hospital. I think that mosquitoes are more dangerous than a tiger. I want to say, please don’t feed on people’s blood.”

There are limited treatments for dengue so prevention is key. The project is aiming to help protect 86,000 people from dengue in the targeted districts of Vientiane, a city of around 990,000 people.

The project team works closely with local communities, so they understand how releasing Wolbachia mosquitos can reduce dengue cases. Saysamone, 33, a field coordinator with Save the Children in Laos said:

“We work with the community. It’s critical that we get acceptance.”

“This is a good project because it’s a new way to protect the community, reduce the infected mosquitoes and also decrease local transmission. It makes our community safe.”

Luke Ebbs, Country Director Save the Children in Laos, said data showed thatglobally the climate crisis has led to spikes in mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, as mosquitoes prefer warmer weather, and flooding leads to more stagnant pools of water for laying eggs. He said:

“Wolbachia mosquitos are a safe, cost-effective, and sustainable solution for preventing dengue in the long-term. The program is replicable in other parts of Laos and the world.” 

“As a result of the climate crisis Laos will suffer from more frequent floods and droughts. Save the Children urges world leaders to take action to fight climate change, which is contributing to spikes in mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever, which is so dangerous to children.”

Save the Children has supported children in Laos since 1987, focusing on health and nutrition, child protection, education, the climate crisis and the environment. The organisation runs awareness raising campaigns about dengue, including sharing information about its transmission and prevention. In 2022, Save the Children directly supported more than 200,000 children in Laos.

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For further enquiries please contact:

Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409

Please also check our Twitter account @Save_GlobalNews for news alerts, quotes, statements and location Vlogs.

Source: Save The Children

VIENTIANE, 27 February 2023 – In a year that saw a rise to at least 5 million cases and 5,500 deaths from dengue fever globally across most continents, Vientiane – the capital of Laos – reported a drop of nearly 60% of cases of the mosquito-borne illness between 2023 and 2022, which may in part be due to a new initiative between Ministry of Health, Save the Children and the World Mosquito Program (WMP).

Mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacteria – which makes it significantly harder for the mosquito to transmit viruses such as dengue to humans – were released as part of a project in two districts of Vientiane between April and August 2023. The aim is for these mosquitos to breed with the local mosquito population until, over several generations, almost all mosquitos have the Wolbachia bacteria, and cases of dengue significantly reduce. The Wolbachia bacteria is natural and harmless to ecosystems and humans.

Last year there was a decrease in dengue cases in Vientiane, with reports of more than 6,500 cases between January and November 2023 compared to around 16,000 cases in 2022. While it’s too early to attribute the change in cases to the Wolbachia project, a similar WMP Wolbachia project in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, found dengue incidence also decreased by 77% and dengue hospitalisations were down by 86%, according to a randomised control trial of the Indonesia project, published in 2021.

Between January and November 2023, there were around 13,500 cases of dengue in children aged under 18, out of a total of around 35,500 cases. This means children accounted for about 40% of dengue cases in the country, according to the Laos Ministry of Health.

Children are particularly vulnerable to dengue as their immune systems are weaker, and they tend to play outside where there’s less protection against mosquitos. Common symptoms of dengue include fever, rash, nausea and aches and pains. Bang-on, 66, a nursery volunteer from Laos, said:

“Blood comes out from gums or nose and children have trouble breathing. They breathe heavily and also get a fever. Treatment is difficult. Some need respiratory assistance because they cannot breathe. That’s why we’re determined to prevent.”

Dengue impacts many areas of children’s lives, including their education, Bang-on said:

“We feel bad for the children who cannot go to school. Parents lose their time too as they must care for children at the hospital and they lose their money. They lose everything.”

Children are also at risk when their caregivers fall ill with dengue. Milly, a nine-year-old girl from Laos, was scared when her mother contracted dengue, said:

“I was worried that my mother wouldn’t be able to leave the hospital. I think that mosquitoes are more dangerous than a tiger. I want to say, please don’t feed on people’s blood.”

There are limited treatments for dengue so prevention is key. The project is aiming to help protect 86,000 people from dengue in the targeted districts of Vientiane, a city of around 990,000 people.

The project team works closely with local communities, so they understand how releasing Wolbachia mosquitos can reduce dengue cases. Saysamone, 33, a field coordinator with Save the Children in Laos said:

“We work with the community. It’s critical that we get acceptance.”

“This is a good project because it’s a new way to protect the community, reduce the infected mosquitoes and also decrease local transmission. It makes our community safe.”

Luke Ebbs, Country Director Save the Children in Laos, said data showed thatglobally the climate crisis has led to spikes in mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, as mosquitoes prefer warmer weather, and flooding leads to more stagnant pools of water for laying eggs. He said:

“Wolbachia mosquitos are a safe, cost-effective, and sustainable solution for preventing dengue in the long-term. The program is replicable in other parts of Laos and the world.” 

“As a result of the climate crisis Laos will suffer from more frequent floods and droughts. Save the Children urges world leaders to take action to fight climate change, which is contributing to spikes in mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever, which is so dangerous to children.”

Save the Children has supported children in Laos since 1987, focusing on health and nutrition, child protection, education, the climate crisis and the environment. The organisation runs awareness raising campaigns about dengue, including sharing information about its transmission and prevention. In 2022, Save the Children directly supported more than 200,000 children in Laos.

*******************************************************************************************************************

For further enquiries please contact:

Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409

Please also check our Twitter account @Save_GlobalNews for news alerts, quotes, statements and location Vlogs.

Source: Save The Children

Aerial photos for the damage caused by the floods that hit Southern Somalia on May 2023. Awale Koronto/ Save the Children

More than 1 in 73 people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes. This number has almost doubled in the past ten years. 

{cta | By giving to Save the Children today, you can help protect a child’s life and future. | https://donate.savethechildren.org/en/donate/what-would-you-save/ | Donate now 

Who are refugees and internally displaced peoples (IDPs)?

Both refugees and internally displaced peoples (IDPs) are persons seeking a safe haven after being forced to flee for reasons such as:

• Persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion
• War and conflict
• Ethnic or political violence
• Climate change and natural disasters

The difference between them is simple:

• Refugees cross an international border
• IDPs do not cross an international border and are forced to flee their homes and move within their own country.

How many refugees and IDPs are there?

Violent conflict, extreme climate events, deadly diseases and global economic shocks are devastating children’s lives and threatening their futures. 

As a result, we are witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record with 36.4 million refugees and 71.1 million people displaced in their own countries.

What countries do most refugees come from?

Over half of all refugees come from 3 countries: Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan.

AFGHANISTAN

Edris* (30) and his son Jawid* (4) in front of their house which was turned into rubble by the earthquake in Herat in October 2023. Atabek Khadim / Save the Children

Save the Children has been working in Afghanistan since 1976, but the scale and severity of the current crisis is like nothing we have ever seen before. A perfect storm of climate disasters, a severe economic crisis and the collapse of essential services have led to one of the worst food crises ever recorded – almost 30 million people needed humanitarian assistance.

Families are increasingly taking desperate measures to survive, including sending their children out of the country to work and even exchanging their children to clear debts. As a result, children’s access to fundamental rights like healthcare, protection, and safe and quality education has been drastically diminished:

• 5.8 million people are internally displaced
• 1 in 4 children have moved from home since August 2021, with 1 in 10 migrating for work, unaccompanied by an adult. 

Learn more about what’s happening in Afghanistan

SYRIA

Abbas* (9), Nagham* (5), Arij* (8), Ramez* (10), Basem* (8) in front of their tent in Syria. Roni Ahmed/Save the Children.

The 13-year-long conflict has devastated the lives of a generation of young people in Syria. The earthquake in February 2023 and the latest escalation in violence have only compounded families and children’s needs. As a result: 

• More than half of the population has been forced to flee their homes.
• There are 6.8 million IDPs and 5.5 million refugees in the region.

Learn more about what’s happening in Syria

UKRAINE

Bebe, Liya’s* favourite toy she took with her when fleeing her home in Ukraine. Anastasiia Zakhoskina/Save the Children

In the past two years, millions of people have fled to safety, with over 15 million people fleeing their homes in what was the fastest-growing displacement crisis in Europe since World War II.

Children have seen their homes, playgrounds and schools bombed. They’ve lost loved ones to the violence, or been separated from family members while being forced to flee. They’ve been cut off from healthcare and school. 

As the war enters its third year:

• 4 million people are internally displaced and 6.3 million have fled across borders. 
• 2.9 million children in Ukraine need support to overcome the horrifying impacts of this war.

Learn more about what’s happening in Ukraine

How does displacement affect children?

Children make up less than one-third of the global population but around 40% of the world’s forcibly displaced population.

Some children become separated from their families or guardians along the way, leaving them extremely vulnerable to abuse, trafficking and exploitation. 

Refugee children also miss our on an average of 3 to 4 years of school due to forced displacement.

What is Save the Children doing to help?

Save the Children has over 100 years of experience responding to emergencies, such as earthquakes, droughts and conflicts, and the resulting crises that unfold, like hunger, displacement and disease.

 When families have to flee their homes, they might pack their clothes, their phone, or their favourite toy. But they can’t pack security, a stable income, a safe place to play or learn, or someone to fight for their rights.

 That is what Save the Children is there for. We support displaced families by:

1. Providing protection and support services at borders.
2. Creating learning opportunities, play centres and emotional support services through our Child Friendly Spaces in refugee camps. 
3. Identifying and registering children who have been separated from their families and working to reunite them with loved ones. 

Learn more about how we support children when disaster strikes and they have to flee their home.

Donate now to protect children’s lives and futures

Source: Save The Children

KYIV, 24 February 2024 – Two years since the escalation of war in Ukraine, more than 10,500 civilians have been killed, including 587 children, and nearly 20,000 injured [1], as constant bombardments, mines, and drone attacks have left a generation traumatised, displaced and fearful for their lives, said 51 members of the Humanitarian NGO Platform in Ukraine. 

With an average of 42 civilians killed and wounded per day since the conflict escalated [2], and recent months being particularly deadly, the group, made up of local and international organisations working in the country, is calling for the immediate protection of civilians, and reminds member states of promises made to tackle dire humanitarian needs of people in Ukraine.

More than 87% of the people killed, or 9,241 people, are casualties of explosive weapons [1], with many of the injuries life-changing in nature, including the loss of limbs or eyesight. The number is understood to be a vast undercount, as the UN continues to corroborate the figures. At the same time, people across Ukraine far from the frontlines also need support to rebuild their lives and recover.

 “My daughter is growing up in the basement now,” says Sviatlana. She and her 7-year-old daughter decided to stay in Kherson, an area that comes under heavy bombardment… “The longest time we had in the dark without electricity was 1.5 months, so now when there is a blackout I try to joke with my daughter, ‘what is one day, we already had way worse’. …Now there is only waiting and surviving. She is just a kid and wants to play outside on the playground, but she cannot leave the basement.”

Two years of renewed fighting has destroyed lives, homes and livelihoods, leaving 14.6 million people, including nearly 3 million children, in desperate need of humanitarian assistance across Ukraine [3]. Nearly 80% of those in need of aid also require mental health support.  The poverty level in Ukraine increased five-fold – 24 percent up from 5 percent – in 2022 alone [4]. 

Because of ongoing violence, about 4 million people are still displaced within Ukraine and more than 5.9 million were forced to flee to neighboring countries [5]. Even though 67% of those internally displaced say they want to return home someday [6], many are unable to return to their homes as the war has shattered their communities, and livelihoods. Many displaced people struggle to integrate in their new communities, where it is difficult to find jobs and housing. Women make up 58% of the internally displaced, and are more likely than men to experience unemployment and dependency on humanitarian aid.

Vulnerable groups are disproportionately affected by the ongoing war. Existing inequalities, including those facing children, Roma people, LGBTQIA+ people, older people and people with disabilities, are only increasing as the long-term, as compounding effects of the crisis drive specific needs. 

Joanna Garbalinska, Director of the Humanitarian NGO Platform in Ukraine, said:

“As the war continues, life is far from normal. Civilians are living day-to-day under the threat of missiles and shells, which continue to hit populated civilian areas, inflicting death and destruction to areas near and far from the frontlines. 

“The Humanitarian NGO Platform in Ukraine calls for all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure to cease immediately, particularly in dense urban areas, as they may amount to grave violations of international humanitarian law. Civilians must always be protected from violence. 

Today marks a grim milestone of the war in Ukraine. As the fighting heads into its third year since the escalation, humanitarian agencies in Ukraine remind member states of promises made to tackle this crisis. Today, humanitarian support is more needed than ever. Long-term funding commitments for humanitarian and recovery efforts – with Ukrainian civil society in the lead – are critical for the safety of civilians and for Ukraine’s future.”

NGO Signatories

“БО “”МБФ “”Руки друзів””// Friends’ Hands

ACTED

Action Against Hunger (ACF)

ActionAid

ГО “АЛЬЯНС.ГЛОБАЛ” // ALLIANCE.GLOBAL, Public Organization

arche noVa

CARE

Caritas Ukraine

Caritas Zaporizhzhia

Corus International

CUAMM – Doctors with Africa

Danish Refugee Council

Estonian Refugee Council

ГРОМАДСЬКА ОРГАНІЗАЦІЯ “ЕДКЕМП УКРАЇНА” // Public Organization “EDCAMP UKRAINE”

FHI 360

Fida International Ukraine

Finn Church Aid

Help-Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe

Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation

Humanity & Inclusion – Handicap International (HI)

humedica e.V.

International Rescue Committee

INTERSOS

La Chaîne de L’espoir

Lutheran World Federation

MAG (Mines Advisory Group)

Medair

Médecins du Monde International Network

Medical Teams International

Mercy Corps

Nonviolent Peaceforce

Norwegian Refugee Council

Oxfam

People in Need

Plan International

Premiere Urgence Internationale

Right to Protection

Save the Children

Solidarités international

Stichting Vluchteling (The Netherlands Refugee Foundation)

Terre des Hommes

Паросток// Parostok

UK-Med Ukraine

Ukrainian Red Cross Society

Українська фундація громадського здоров‘я // Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health

Welthungerhilfe

World Vision International

ZDOROVI

ГО “Дівчата”// NGO “Girls”

ГО «ГІ Допоможемо Разом» //NGO “Will Help Together”

Єдність чеснот//NGO “Unity of Virtue”

-END-

Notes for editors: 

The Humanitarian NGO Platform in Ukraine (hereinafter the NGO Platform) is an independent coordination body with 78 Ukrainian and international NGO members who are operational and delivering humanitarian assistance in Ukraine. The NGO Platform is dedicated to serving and facilitating the work of its members to efficiently and effectively address the humanitarian needs of conflict affected people.

Key facts:

[1] As of 22 February 2024 (the latest data available), 30,457 civilians were killed and wounded, including 10,582 civilians killed in the conflict, including 587 children. A total of 9,241 people have been killed by explosive weapons with wide area effects, and mines and explosive remnants of war. Source: UN OCHA

[2] The 42 people killed or injured per day on average comes from the cumulative casualty figure (30,457) divided by the latest data source date (15 February 2024) and the date of the escalation of the conflict (24 February 2024)

[3] 14.6 million people, including more than 3 million children, are in need in Ukraine this year. 80% of those in need of aid also require mental health support.  Approximately 4 million people are displaced within Ukraine. Women make up 58% of the internally displaced, and are more likely than men to experience unemployment and dependency on humanitarian aid. Source: Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2024

[4] Poverty level in Ukraine increased from 5.5% to 24% in 2022 alone. Source: World Bank

[5] 5.9 million Ukrainian people are refugees. Source: UNHCR

[6] 67% of internally displaced people say they want to return home one day. Source: UNHCR

Source: Save The Children

Destruction in Khan Younis, Gaza. Photo: Bisan/Save the Children.

Originally posted by Al Jazeera. 

A crisis. A horror. A tragedy. All words we’ve heard many times over to describe the situation in Gaza. All woefully insufficient.

As a Palestinian, I can assure you if there’s one thing Palestinians aren’t short of, it’s words. You may even recall that in the first weeks of this war, children in Gaza held their own press conference imploring the world “to protect them” so they could “live as other children live”.

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But the scale of the violence in Gaza since the attacks on Israel on October 7, which killed about 1,139 people, is unlike anything we’ve experienced before. Israeli forces have killed an average of 250 Palestinians a day, exceeding the daily death toll of all other conflicts in recent decades.

Over one million people have been displaced to Rafah, the only remaining place in Gaza where there is any semblance of a meaningful humanitarian response, waiting for the next military operation that could lead to a bloodbath.

And so, words have begun to fail us. Many now say there simply are no words that justly capture the torment we’re facing. I disagree.

There are still some words we can and must fall back on, words that anchor us to our collective humanity. The language of human rights, international law and accountability. Words like obligations, violations, atrocity crimes. The laws of occupation. And the laws of war.

I emphasise these words because they are the right words to use, but also because they counter other words that have come to the fore, such as the language of dehumanisation, which paves the way for atrocity crimes to be committed.

Back in June 2023, I attended my brother’s wedding in the occupied West Bank village where we grew up. If only for a brief moment, we were able to forget about the occupation we live under and the daily abuse that brings.

That moment of joy was swiftly crushed when a few days later hundreds of armed settlers marched into our village, firebombing homes and cars and attacking my family, friends and neighbours, in the 10th attack on the village in just six months.

A 27-year-old father of two young children was murdered. Many others were shot and injured. As far as we’re aware, not a single settler has been held to account.

The attacks on my village fitted a trend of increasing insecurity for Palestinians with more frequent and more violent attacks by settlers and Israeli forces occurring across the occupied West Bank. In September, a Save the Children report found that 2023 had become the deadliest year for Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank on record. The number of children killed in the first nine months of the year was triple the number killed in 2022- itself previously the deadliest year on record since 2005. And then came October 7, leading to unprecedented levels of dehumanisation and violence.

Horrifyingly, at least four of the six grave violations against children have been perpetrated since the war began, including children killed in Gaza and Israel, the abduction of children from Israel to Gaza, attacks on hospitals and schools across Gaza, and the denial of humanitarian access for children in Gaza.

At least 29,000 people have been reported killed and 69,000 wounded in Gaza while an estimated 8,000 people are missing, presumed buried under the rubble of bombed-out buildings, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Some of the most inhumane actions carried out by Israeli forces include directing Palestinian civilians to so-called “safe zones” and then bombing these areas, and preventing food, water and medicine from reaching civilians, even as aid agencies warn that nearly every single child in Gaza is at imminent risk of famine.

These extreme levels of violence are no doubt in part a consequence of the increasing dehumanisation of Palestinians. Senior Israeli government officials have labelled Palestinians “human animals”, there have been calls by some journalists for Gaza to be turned “into a slaughterhouse”, and some Israeli soldiers were shown wearing T-shirts depicting pregnant Palestinian women and babies as military targets.

Indiscriminate attacks on civilians, forced displacement, the use of collective punishment and starvation as a weapon of war are all violations of international humanitarian law and may constitute war crimes.

Videos have been broadcast to the world showing Israeli bulldozers digging up Palestinian cemeteries, the lifeless bodies of Palestinians run over by military vehicles, and young Palestinian boys blindfolded and stripped naked in the street.

It terrifies me that many world leaders who claim to be champions of human rights and the rules-based order would have seen these same videos and failed to condemn them. In contrast, there was global condemnation when videos surfaced of some of the 130 hostages still held captive in Gaza after being seized in Israel on October 7.

Just as in so many other places before our failure to prevent the atrocities in Gaza is making a mockery of “never again”.

With everything that we now know, I wonder whether world leaders will finally use their positions of power and influence to bring this bloodshed to an end or whether they will simply continue issuing “statements of concern” and turning a blind eye.

This war should never have begun but it has certainly gone on for far too long. Every day it continues, more and more children will be killed, maimed, orphaned, and left deeply traumatised.

But even if politics continues to undermine humanity, the rule of law can still be upheld. In the weeks, months and years ahead, judgements handed down have the potential to redefine society’s course, leading to a fairer and safer world.

We owe it to all children, including those across the occupied Palestinian territory in Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and across Israel, to demand an end to the violence, adherence to international law and to hold to account those who violate it. They have a right to no less.

Join us in calling for a definitive ceasefire. Sign our petition today.

—

Mohamad Alasmar is Save the Children’s Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Advocacy and Resource Mobilization Director.  Mohamad has over a decade of advocacy, programme operation and humanitarian response senior-level experience, having worked across several country offices, including Jordan, Palestine, Tunisia, Lebanon and on the regional Syria Refugee Response. Over several years of holding senior leadership roles within the Middle East and North Africa, Mohamad has built robust networks among civil society, humanitarian actors and strong governmental relationships.  

Source: Save The Children

GAROWE, Somalia, 23 February 2024 — Save the Children is calling for increased protection of girls in Somalia after a 13-year-old girl was raped by a group of armed men outside her home last Sunday, 18 February. The child was pulled from her home and attacked by multiple men, according to reports by the local community and media.

The child rights agency is calling for a full and transparent investigation of the attack, and calling on the government of Puntland and Somalia to urgently take measures to prevent sexual violence, protect survivors, and prosecute perpetrators in line with national and international human rights obligations.

Save the Children’s teams in Puntland have received increasing anecdotal reports of sexual abuse and rape against teenage girls in recent months, with survivors afraid of making official reports to authorities for fear of retaliation and stigma.

Somalia has some of the highest rates of violence against women and girls in the world, with few laws to protect women and girls from sexual and domestic violence or available shelters where they can seek refuge from their aggressors.

Earlier this month, the deaths of three women in one week, all allegedly murdered by their husbands, caused outrage in Somalia and sparked days of protests over the country’s track record on protecting women and girls.[1] In 2021, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) documented an alarming 80% increase in sexual violence in Somalia primarily attributed to armed men.

Save the Children’s Acting Country Director for Somalia, Mohamed Abdiladif said:

“The persistent sexual violence against Somalia’s most vulnerable women and children is deplorable and a grave violation of human rights. The traumatic rape of this young, displaced girl is unfortunately indicative of a wider trend that we at Save the Children are witnessing through our work across communities in Somalia. Gender-based violence continues to be pervasive, particularly affecting displaced, rural and minority women and girls who face added risks amidst conflict and insecurity. 

“We urge the Puntland Government of Somalia to strengthen legal protections for children, including the enforcement of a sexual offences bill. Every child, no matter where they live, deserves to live a safe, happy and healthy life, free from violence.”

“Save the Children reiterates our commitment to protecting Somalia’s most vulnerable people. We stand ready to support national and local partners in strengthening prevention and response efforts surrounding conflict-related sexual violence. No child should have to endure such unspeakable brutality.

Save the Children has worked in Somalia for over 70 years, since 1951, and is running child protection programs in the camps for displaced people providing specialised psychological care for sexual assault survivors through mental health and psychosocial support, hospital and specialist referrals, and hosting awareness-raising activities about children’s rights and abuse.

ENDS

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For further enquiries please contact:

Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409

Please also check our Twitter account @Save_GlobalNews for news alerts, quotes, statements and location Vlogs.

Source: Save The Children

Photo: A man with a Save the Children vest walks along a residential street inundated with floods in Demak, Indonesia in February 2024. Abid Amirullah / Save the Children.

SEMARANG, Indonesia 23 February 2023 – Flooding in Demak and Grobogan regencies of Central Java, 300 miles (500 kilometers) from Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, has displaced about 11,500 people, including at least 1,100 children, and forced some schools to close as the Southeast Asian country grapples with the increasing impacts of the global climate crisis.

At least 71,000 people have been affected by the floods in Central Java, which began earlier this month when heavy rain and a burst embankment flooded Demak town in Indonesia’s Central Java province. The floods have forced many public facilities to shut and damaged infrastructure including homes, schools, bridges, and government buildings.

Some 11,500[1] people have been displaced from their homes, while at least six schools have closed and a further eight have been converted into evacuation shelters.

Floods are common during the rainy season, which typically occurs between November and March, in Central Java. However, the country’s national disaster agency has said that more than 90 % of the country’s natural disasters over the past decade have been exacerbated by climate change.[2]

Anto*, 14, from Karangayartown in Central Java, said he was not able to go to school:

“I’m sad. Because of the flood I can’t go to school, I can’t study and I can’t play.”

Jayana, a resident of Karanganyar town in Central Java who has a disability, said:

“It flooded for half an hour and came up to my neck. When the flood began, we could not save anything, we evacuated and went to higher ground.”

Save the Children, along with local partner Migrant Care, has provided shelter and food to those affected and will provide educational packages to children and help people to return to their home once flood waters subside.

Fadli Usman, Humanitarian Director at Save the Children in Indonesia, said:

“Save the Children, in collaboration with Migrant Care, has provided five hundred hygiene kits to hundreds of families in three villages including supplies of water. We will also distribute educational packages to children and accompany residents when they return to their homes. We will work together to clean residents’ houses while distributing clean water and we  will build forward better by promoting the resilience of children and families.”

Indonesia is ranked in the top-third of countries in terms of climate risk, with high exposure to all types of flooding, and extreme heat.

The intensity of these hazards is expected to grow as the climate changes. The country is particularly vulnerable to rising sea-levels and ranked fifth highest in the world in population inhabiting lower-elevation coastal zones. [3]

Migrant CARE (Indonesian Association for Migrant Workers Sovereignty) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Indonesia focused on the rights of migrant workers. Save the Children Indonesia worked with Migrant CARE during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization is well equipped to provide support to marginalized communities.  

Save the Children has worked in Indonesia for more than four decades. We’ve responded to nearly all the natural disasters that have occurred, including 2018’s deadly earthquake and tsunami where we were one of the first agencies to gain access to Sulawesi.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

*Name changed to protect anonymity.

References

1. Central Java Province Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Feb. 2024.
2. Flooding in Jakarta: A Call to Increase Climate Change Awareness https://news.climate.columbia.edu
3. https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/2021-05/15504-Indonesia%20Country%20Profile-WEB_0.pdf