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RISING ACUTE MALNUTRITION IN DRC PUTS 4.5 MILLION CHILDREN AGED UNDER FIVE AT GREATER RISK OF MPOX

Source: Save The Children

KINSHASA, 10 Sept 2024 – Increased rates of acute malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has put 4.5 million children aged under five and over 3.7 million pregnant and breastfeeding women at heightened risk of contracting and dying of mpox, Save the Children said.

The latest figures on malnutrition from the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) – the leading international authority on food insecurity – come as DRC is at the epicentre of an outbreak of a new strain of mpox that has so far killed at least 632 people, adding further pressures to a country where about a quarter of the population are in need of humanitarian assistance [1].

Greg Ramm, Country Director for Save the Children in the DRC, said:

“These grave new figures add extra urgency to the critical need to prevent the spread of mpox and other diseases across the DRC. We know from decades of experience that malnutrition weakens immune systems, making it harder to fight off disease and more likely that children die from conditions such as diarrhoea. We know from just the past few months that malnourished children across the country, living with poor sanitation and healthcare, are contracting and dying of mpox at a far higher rate than adults. This new variant exacerbates challenges caused by conflict, displacement and poverty that many families are already facing.

“We are now at a crossroads – do we let this deadly mpox virus spread and cause a catastrophe among children, knowing what we know? Or do we use this knowledge to act urgently to prevent the spread of the virus, to treat children, strengthen the country’s health systems and water, sanitation and hygiene services and protect children and families?

“For several years now, the country has had some of the world’s worst rates of hunger and malnutrition. For far too long the world has let down children in DRC. It’s time for donors and agencies to step up to protect them.”

ENDS

[1] 25.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to OCHA. Latest UN figures show DRC has a population of 99 million

We have spokespeople available. For more information please contact:

Emily Wight, Global Media Manager: Emily.Wight@savethechildren.org;

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

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STATEMENT: IN SYRIA CHILDREN LOSING THEIR FUTURES AS VIOLENCE ESCALATES

Source: Save The Children

AMMAN, 10 Sept 2024 – Rasha Muhrez, Save the Children Response Director in Syria, said: 

“Children are paying the highest price for the ongoing conflict in Syria with the latest series of strikes across southern and central Syria – in which at least 24 people including civilians were reportedly killed – again highlighting the risks to their lives, their futures and their families. 

“Recent attacks across Syria have killed and injured children, destroyed vital civilian infrastructure like electricity and water stations, schools and hospitals. Whether it’s due to regional escalations, tensions across Syria’s northern border, or the ongoing conflict inside the country – children are suffering the most. 

“Services have already collapsed after 14 years of conflict and basic systems have limited capacity to respond to shocks. Syrians seek a return to some sense of normalcy and a better future for their children. 

“The humanitarian crisis in Syria is at a record levels. Over 16 million people – almost half of them children – need urgent assistance, the highest figure since Syria’s conflict began. This violence is only worsening an already disastrous crisis.  

“International humanitarian law demands that all parties to the conflict ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. The continued escalation of violence only deepens the crisis for Syria’s most vulnerable, who are already enduring unimaginable hardship. We call on all involved to prioritise the safety of civilians .” 

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. 

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“Delete the Children” campaign launched in South Korea as schools face sexually explicit AI ‘deepfakes’ crisis

Source: Save The Children

Sexually explicit deepfake content – AI-generated images or videos that superimpose the image of a real person’s face over a fake body or onto real pornographic material – sometimes uses images of children taken without their consent from online sources, and has become the subject of public outrage in South Korea.
A national children’s survey by Save the Children Korea, whose results were released earlier this year, showed 85.5% of children aged 10 to 18 support guaranteeing children’s right to delete their personal information online, including their images. In the same survey, 98 % of children said they would ask to delete personal information has been posted by others without their consent.[1]
In the same survey, while 90% of children said they agreed to personal data collecton to use internet services, more than half, or 53.1%, were unaware their personal data was being provided to external companies for marketing purposes.
Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) launched a pilot “eraser service” last year which allows the commission to ask website managers to remove or hide posts that contain personal information of minors. However, the request to remove or hide posts containing personal information can only be made for posts containing personal information that was originally shared by the individual themselves.
Through the Delete the Children campaign, Save the Children is asking that this service be extended so that children and their parents can ask to have any of their online information, including digitally altered images, removed and so that children have the right to determine how their personal information is used.
Delete the Children also aims to raise social awareness around the protection of children’s personal information online and to urge the government to ensure that children’s personally identifiable information, including images and other data, can be removed from online platforms.
Earlier this month, South Korea’s national police agency said it was investigating the encrypted messaging app Telegram which it suspects is being used to distribute AI-generated sexually explicit images, including digitally altered images of teenagers shared across several schools and universities in the country.
Mijeong Kang, Director, Advocacy Department, Save the Children Korea, said:   
“When videos or images are posted without a child’s consent it can spread like wildfire and the suffering that these children endure carries over long into adulthood. We need to do better in order to support our children’s right to digital self-determination.
The digital footprints left by the exploitation of children for criminal purposes can have devastating, long-lasting effects. We must act urgently to improve our policies, ensuring the rapid removal of these harmful digital records. This swift action is crucial not only for the immediate protection of vulnerable children but also to safeguard their future well-being and right to digital autonomy.”
Steve Miller, Save the Children’s Global Director of Child Protection, said:
“AI-generated “deepfake” images and videos can leave a profound and incredibly negative psychological impact on children and we know that cyberbullying, in the worst-case scenarios, can lead to self-harm or even suicide. This massively important issue also disproportionately affects young girls and women. We urgently need governments, including South Korea, to create a safe digital environment for children and to give children the power to determine how, when and where their personal data is used online.”
Save the Children Korea was established in 1953 aftermath of Korean war and began its transformation from being a recipient of international aid to becoming a donor country. In Korea, Save the Children is a leading organization addressing child rights issues in child protection and a major contributor to the global Save the Children movement in responding to humanitarian crisis such as the Palestine-Israel war, Ukraine war, Turkiye-Syria earthquake and more.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Survey notes:
The survey was conducted by Save the Children Korean from Dec 5 to 7 2023. 1,000 Children aged from 10 to 18 participated all over Korea (51.5% male, 48.5% female / Age group 32.4% (age 10-12), 33.9% (age 13-15), 33.7% age 16-18). The result of this survey was published in February 2024.
For further enquiries or media interview requests please contact:
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WEST AFRICA FLOODS: Nearly 950,000 people displaced and children sheltering in schools just weeks before school term starts

Source: Save The Children

ABUJA, BAMAKO, NIAMEY, 6 September 2024 – Recent heavy rains and floods across West Africa have forced nearly 950,000 people [1], many of them children, from their homes across Mali, Nigeria and Niger, Save the Children said. 

The hundreds of thousands of children now displaced from their homes are facing disease, hunger from crop destruction, and disruption to their education, as schools have become crowded with fleeing families or damaged in the floods.

While this is normally the rainiest time of the year in the region, this year’s rains have been more severe than usual, causing widespread flood damage to four regions (Bamako, Ségou, Koulikoro, and Gao) of Mali, the northern states of Nigeria and the Maradi region of Niger. These kinds of extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe as a result of the climate crisis, said Save the Children.

In Mali, where the government has declared a national state of disaster, the floods have forced 73,778 people including 32,889 children from their homes [2], many of whom are seeking shelter in schools, risking a delay to the school term which is scheduled to start in October.

Rama*, 11, from Mali told Save the Children: “We came to live in the school because of the flood that destroyed all our house as well as everything we owned: our farmyard, our clothes, our kitchen utensils, our food, especially my sister’s school supplies as well as our pretty doll that I loved very much. 

“We sleep in a school with some neighbouring families who have also been affected, but there are also other families and many people I don’t know. I’m separated from my best friends in the neighbourhood, and I haven’t even heard from some for days. With the reopening of schools, we have no shelters, my grandmother is already worried that we will be chased away from the school. I don’t know yet if I will continue school this year because we lost everything in the water. I don’t think my parents will have the means to support me at school”. 

In Nigeria, flooding has affected 29 of the country’s 36 states – four-fifths of the country – mostly in the northern areas. The torrential rainfall has led to the overflowing of dams and rising water levels of the two largest rivers, the Niger and the Benue, resulting in the death of over 200 people including children [3]. On top of those killed, more than 225,000 have been displaced from their homes across the country, while more than 2,100 have been injured [3].  

According to Nigerian government data [4], over 115,265 hectares of farmland have also been damaged, in a country with already high rates of food insecurity. Save the Children recently estimated that one in every six children across Nigeria faced hunger in June-August this year – a 25% increase on the same period last year.  

In Niger, flooding has affected all 8 regions of the country, with torrential rains and floods beginning in May washing away houses and destroying buildings, bridges and roads. At least 265 people have been killed [5] and children remain at risk of drowning, waterborne diseases and electrocution from exposed wires, Maradi , Zinder, and Tahoua (in southern Niger) have experienced the greatest devastation in terms of affected people and damaged houses, said Save the Children.  As of 2 September, the official government figures on floods countrywide show 85 260 affected households (649 184 individuals) including 68 955 destroyed houses and 110 damaged classrooms [5].

Vishna Shah-Little, Regional Director of Advocacy, Communications, Campaigns and Media for Save the Children in West and Central Africa said:  

“We expected this was coming with the rainy season – but this level of destruction is something else, and could have been avoided if action was taken sooner.  

“These countries are already ravaged by conflict and insecurity, making it even harder to respond – it is critical that support gets to those who need it in a timely manner to prevent things from getting worse. And we need to see urgent, bold action on climate change from the global level as its impact on children becomes more and more visible.” 

Save the Children is actively responding to flood victims’ needs in the Segou region of Mali through food security programs, cash transfers, the provision of water, hygiene and sanitation services, and child protection activities. The Segou region is the most affected in Mali, with 15,656 children affected, constituting about 51 per cent of the total affected children population. 

In Nigeria, Save the Children is responding in Adamawa state, distributing foldable mattresses, blankets, and hygiene and sanitation products to the most vulnerable flood-affected households including children and the elderly. 

In the global response to the climate crisis, Save the Children is calling for national governments to rapidly phase out the use and subsidy of fossil fuels and ensure a just and equitable transition in order to limit warming temperatures to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels. 

Leaders must also include the voices, needs and rights of children, particularly those affected by inequality and discrimination, in the global response to climate change, including in climate finance from higher-income countries to lower-income countries. At a practical level, this includes ensuring buildings like schools are more resilient to extreme weather events such as flooding so that children can learn safely. 

Around the world, Save the Children works to create lasting change with and for children by supporting communities to strengthen their resilience to the climate crisis and calling on world leaders to tackle its root causes. 

*name has been changed to protect anonymity  

Notes: 

  1. Total number of the reported displaced people in Mali (73,778), Nigeria (225,000) and Niger (649 184) according to the official document released by the countries’ emergency agencies in September
  2. National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Mali Flooding reports released on September 2024
  3. Official figures released by Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on 3 September, 2024
  4. Official figures released by Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on 3 September, 2024
  5. Official figures released by MINISTERE DE L’ACTION HUMANITAIRE ET DE LA GESTION DES CATASTROPHES – REPUBLIQUE DU NIGER on September 4, 2024
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Sudan: Major cholera outbreak as heavy rains hit displacement camps and no end to fighting

Source: Save The Children

PORT SUDAN, 5 Sept 2024 – Thousands of children in eastern Sudan are at risk of cholera following a major outbreak caused by widespread flooding, contaminated water and with a decimated health system after 16 months of conflict, Save the Children said.

Nearly 2900 cases of cholera and 112 deaths have been reported between July 22 and the beginning of September with Sudan’s Ministry of Health officially declared the outbreak on August 12. However, the actual numbers may be higher as limited access to health facilities and delayed community referrals are leading to a significant underreporting, according to the latest report from Sudan’s Health Cluster— a partnership including the UN, the Federal Ministry of Health, and NGOs including Save the Children. 

In El Damer in River Nile State and in Gedarif in Gedarif State, Save the Children teams are reporting a huge spike in cholera cases among children under five, who account for nearly 15% of the confirmed cases and deaths across the country.

The spike in cholera comes with no end to the fighting that started in April last year and has devastated the country’s health and sanitation systems. Cholera spreads rapidly due to inadequate sewage treatment, flooding, and unsafe drinking water—conditions worsened by relentless heavy rains that have battered much of the country for the past three months.

The flooding has already claimed at least 173 lives and injured 505 people since June, according to the National Council for Civil Defence. The downpour has also caused the collapse of the Arbaat Dam in Red Sea state on 24 August, which is the main source of drinking water for the coastal city of Port Sudan, a vital humanitarian hub.  

Heavy rains and flooding have also displaced 4,300 people from displacement camps in North Darfur State, including the Zamzam camp, where famine was recently declared. The flooding has destroyed around 900 tents and washed away latrines within these camps, severely disrupting humanitarian aid efforts.

With more than 25.6 million people across the country in need of aid, the crisis has escalated food scarcity, putting children at heightened risk of malnutrition.

Mohamed Abdiladif, Interim Country Director for Save the Children in Sudan, said:

“Children in Sudan have gone from horror to horror. Even before the conflict erupted last year the country was home to one of the world’s biggest humanitarian crises, with existing localised conflicts, natural disasters, disease outbreaks and economic degradation leaving 15.8 million people in need. That figure has now escalated to 25.6 million people, and diseases like cholera will only trigger a greater increase. Conflict is not just about immediate violence but is also a slow but deadly drip-feed of other grave threats to children’s lives, such as malnutrition and disease.

“We are working to ensure access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene promotion activities to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases such as a cholera in conflict-affected areas. However, we urgently need a huge injection of funds to deliver the treatment needed for cholera.”

Save the Children is conducting daily water quality testing, monitoring and chlorination at 35 water sources within the Sawakin locality, Red Sea state, and has disposed of 125 tons of solid waste at designated dumping sites.

In Gedaref state, Save the Children is supporting with treatment and management of cholera cases and providing safe drinking water to cholera treatment centres. The aid agency is also providing cash assistance to vulnerable families to enable them buy basics such as food, water, and afford health care.

Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983 and is currently supporting children and their families across Sudan providing health, nutrition, education, child protection and food security and livelihoods support. Save the Children is also supporting refugees from Sudan in Egypt and South Sudan. 

ENDS 

We have multimedia content for this release: www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/Package/2O4C2S0YL9XS

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For further enquiries please contact:

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

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MEDIA RELEASE: Disturbing Data In Latest “Assisted Dying” Report

Source: Family First

Disturbing Data In Latest “Assisted Dying” Report

Media Release: 5 September 2024

The latest review of assisted suicide / euthanasia was quietly released last month by the Ministry of Health – but it should sound significant and loud warning bells about the law, especially at a time when proponents want it to be liberalised even further.

Family First has analysed the Registrar (assisted dying) Annual Report June 2024. Key findings include:

  • 5% increase in assisted deaths in the last 12 months. [2022 66 (5 mnths), 2023 328, 2024 344]
  • 11% increase in applications.
  • 83% NZ European/Pākehā. Pasifika <0.5%. Māori <4%. Asian 2%. Other 12%.
  • 60% aged 65-84. 19% 85+. 19% 45-64.
  • Virtually even split between male and female.
  • 12% of applicants had a disability.
  • 258 applicants died before ‘needing’ euthanasia.
  • The application process averages only 16 days.
  • Less than 7% of applicants are for neurological conditions (such as Huntington’s Disease).

What is most disturbing is that one in four applicants weren’t receiving palliative care. The End of Life Choice Act only provides a ‘right’ to one choice – premature death. There is no corresponding right to palliative care. Good palliative care and hospice services are resource intensive; euthanasia would be cheaper. As has also been observed overseas, notably in Canada, there is a new element of ‘financial calculation’ into decisions about end-of-life care. This is harsh reality. At an individual level, the economically disadvantaged who don’t have access to better healthcare could feel pressured to end their lives because of the cost factor or because other better choices are not available to them. Some hospitals have no specialist palliative care services at all.

The NZ Herald recently reported: “A specialist paediatric palliative care (PPC) doctor says New Zealand is falling behind other nations in its care of terminally ill children and the Government must step up to help.” And the demand for this specialist medical care will only increase significantly in the near future. Our population is ageing, and therefore the number of people requiring palliative care is forecast to increase by approximately 25% over the next 15 years and will be more than double that by 2061.

Previous Governments have made little effort to address this growing problem and to increase funding for palliative care, and essential service. Euthanasia is instead given priority and full Government funding.

The other significant red flag in the report is that just 1% of applicants had a psychiatric assessment to check for both competence to make the decision, and for any presence of coercion. 99% of applicants were not assessed for these.

That so few patients are referred raises serious questions around the competency of doctors involved in euthanasia, and also implies either key psychological signs are being ignored – or missed.

Many patients who are facing death or battling an irreversible, debilitating disease are depressed at some point. However, many people with depression who request euthanasia overseas revoke that request if their depression and pain are satisfactorily treated. If euthanasia or assisted suicide is approved, many patients who would have otherwise traversed this dark, difficult phase and gone on to find meaning in their remaining months of life will die prematurely.

The unspoken reality is also that terminally ill people are vulnerable to direct and indirect pressure from family, caregivers and medical professionals, as well as self-imposed pressure. They may come to feel euthanasia would be ‘the right thing to do’; they’ve ‘had a good innings’ and do not want to be a ‘burden’ to their nearest and dearest. It is virtually impossible to detect subtle emotional coercion, let alone overt coercion, at the best of times.

This latest data simply confirms that nothing in the law guarantees the protection required for vulnerable people facing their death, including the disabled, elderly, depressed or anxious, and those who feel themselves to be a burden or who are under financial pressure.

Family First is also deeply concerned by comments by Associate Minister of Health David Seymour who is overseeing the review of the law. He recently stated on RNZ:

“The statutory review is being the Ministry of Health right now. I believe, without pre-empting what it will say, that it will give a lot of weight to making change.” 

It is deeply disturbing that a Minister would campaign and potentially unduly influence an independent review with this type of commentary.

It’s time we focused on and fully funded world-class palliative care – and not a lethal injection.

We can live without euthanasia.

DOWNLOAD OUR FACT SHEET ON THE LAW https://familyfirst.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Euthanasia-Fact-Sheet.pdf

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STATEMENT: BABY AMONG THOSE KILLED IN DEADLY ATTACKS IN UKRAINE

Source: Save The Children

Sonia Khush, Save the Children Country Director in Ukraine, said:   

“The strike in Lviv – where three children including a baby were reportedly killed – proves once again, that even far away from the frontline children can never be truly safe from attacks. So far, every single day of September has been marred by air strikes, and dozens of children have been killed or injured in deadly explosions. 

“Instead of morning alarms that would wake them to go to school, children are startled awake by air raid sirens and forced into shelters straight out of bed. Instead of learning and playing, children are being killed, injured, and left emotionally distressed. Three in four children in Ukraine are living in constant fear amid an escalating mental health crisis. 

“As there are no signs of attacks slowing, children are paying the highest price. We must no longer tolerate violence against the most vulnerable of human beings. International humanitarian law should be the cornerstone that everybody abides by to ensure children, their families, and homes are protected from shelling and strikes.”  

ENDS

For further enquiries please contact:

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Pakistan: Over half of flood-related deaths are children as heavy rains displace thousands

Source: Save The Children

ISLAMABAD, 4 September 2024 – Floods and heavy rains have killed more than 150 children in Pakistan since the start of the monsoon season in July, making up over half of all deaths, said Save the Children [1].

Over 200 children have been injured in incidents caused by rain or floods, which have forced thousands of people from their homes. In Sanghar district in Sindh province, nearly 10,000 people have been displaced after a canal overflowed. About 2,600 are now living in a relief camp in a school – 60% of them are children – with others living in the open next to their destroyed or damaged homes [2].

A Save the Children assessment in the most flood affected parts of Sanghar found a severe shortage of clean water, with many sources contaminated by human and animal excrement. Some villages in Sanghar are still cut off by snake infested floodwaters and only accessible by boat. More than nine out of 10 people surveyed said that mosquito transmitted diseases, such as malaria and dengue, are their biggest health concerns, with 75% worried about water borne diseases, like diarrhoea [3].

Three quarters of people assessed said they were selling household assets to buy food. The rains and floods have destroyed 80% of cotton crops in Sanghar, the primary source of income for farmers, and killed hundreds of livestock.

Girls in Sanghar told Save the Children that personal safety and security was their top concern in the aftermath of the floods, with some worried about a potential increase in gender-based violence.

Aisha* said:

“We need food, water, and a safe place to sleep. My school is flooded, so we can’t go to class. I miss playing with my friends. I hope the flood goes away soon.”

Save the Children is working with a local partner, HANDS, to support children and adults affected by the floods in Sanghar. The child rights organisation is providing items including tents, household and hygiene kits for displaced families and has deployed mobile health and nutrition teams to deliver primary healthcare and screen children for malnutrition. Children in Sanghar will also have dedicated safe spaces where they can continue to learn through play based activities and receive mental health support. Save the Children plans to expand its response to other areas in Sindh and Balochistan, which need urgent assistance.

Khuram Gondal, Country Director, Save the Children in Pakistan said:

“Children are always the most affected in a disaster. Families have yet again lost homes and livelihoods – some of the same areas that were hit by devastating floods just two years ago are again under water.  Children need urgent assistance – they need clean water, protection from mosquito borne diseases and safe spaces where they can play and learn.

“We need to ensure that the immediate impacts of the floods and heavy rains do not become long term problems. In Sindh province alone, more than 72,000 children have seen their education disrupted [4]. Governments must tackle the underlying causes of these climate driven disasters, including channeling funding and support to children and their families in Pakistan to adapt, recover and rebuild their lives.”

Save the Children has been working in Pakistan since 1979 and was the first international NGO to respond to the 2022 floods emergency. As of the end of July 2024, the child rights organisation has reached more than 1.1 million people in flood-affected areas, including more than 568,000 children.

We have programmes addressing children’s needs for food security, education, health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene.  In Sindh province, Save the Children continues to support affected families through the distribution of cash, health and nutrition treatment and livelihood recovery programmes.

ENDS

Multimedia content is available here: http://www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/Package/2O4C2S0Q6MQ7

Notes to editors:

*denotes name changed to protect identity

[1] Figures correct as of 1 September 2024 https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/ndma-monsoon-2024-daily-situation-report-no-63-1-september-2024

[2] UN OCHA Joint Observatory Mission-District Sanghar, 21 August 2024

[3] https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/pakistan-rapid-needs-assessment-district-sanghar-sindh-august-2024

[4] https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/pakistan-monsoon-2024-flash-update-7-latest-monsoon-developments-and-response-efforts-02-september-2024

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We have spokespeople available in Pakistan.  

For interview requests and further information, please contact:

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

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UNIQLO AND MAGNUM PHOTOS LAUNCH GLOBAL EXHIBITION CAPTURING LIVES OF CHILDREN IN CONFLICT AND CRISIS

Source: Save The Children

Refugee children from Ukraine play together at a Save the Children Counselling Hub. Bucharest, Romania, December 2023. Credit: Olivia Arthur/MAGNUM PHOTOS

LONDON/STOCKHOLM/TOKYO/ROME, 3 SEPTEMBER 2024 – A powerful new photography exhibition documenting the lives of children experiencing conflict and crisis from Ukraine, Vietnam and Ethiopia opens this month and will run in 10 countries.

Global apparel retailer UNIQLO has collaborated with internationally renowned photographic cooperative Magnum Photos on a collection of 63 images highlighting the real lives of children and adults who have faced adversity, such as war, displacement and child-marriage.

The people photographed have all been supported by UNIQLO’s PEACE FOR ALL charity T-shirt project, which donates proceeds to the humanitarian and development work of Save the Children, UNHCR, and Plan International.

A new collection of PEACE FOR ALL charity T-shirts will launch on 19 September 2024, with all of the designs expressing a wish for peace.

Conflicts and crises take a devastating toll on children, who are more vulnerable to illness and disease and often face an increased risk of exploitation and abuse. Children who have fled conflicts and crises are also at risk, as their education is disrupted, and their mental health can suffer.

Magnum photographer Olivia Arthur visited Save the Children’s counselling hub in Bucharest, Romania, last December for the project. The hub offers children displaced by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine the opportunity to participate in educational and other activities.

Liubov*, 10, who attends Save the Children’s counselling hub in Bucharest, said:

“In the ‘Save the Children’ sessions, I feel safe and joyful like a child. I enjoy participating in games, learning new things, and spending time with other kids who speak my language.”

Vladymir*, 8, also attends the Hub, he said:

“During the ‘Save the Children’ sessions, I feel inspired and happy because I come here with my friends.”

Save the Children Romania has set up eight counselling hubs across the country, providing a range of services for refugees including counselling, child protection, education, mental health and psychosocial support activities. 

Olivia Arthur captured the lives of children as they attended Romanian & English language classes, afterschool classes, creativity classes, and therapy with dogs, she said:

“The most powerful tool that children have is their imagination, so I wanted to create a space where these children could come and express themselves and play with whatever came into their heads. There was a lot of giggling and some inventive creatures and poses.”

Federica Toscano, Senior Advocacy Advisor, Children on the Move, Save the Children Europe, said:

“The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has forced countless children to leave behind everything they know. In times of crisis, providing not just shelter but also emotional and educational support is crucial for their well-being and future. Save the Children’s counselling hubs offer a safe space where children can heal, learn, and rediscover a sense of normalcy.”

UNIQLO and Save the Children have been working together since 2022, through the PEACE FOR ALL initiative. Supporting children globally affected by conflict and emergencies.  

Notes

*Names changed to protect anonymity

Media spokespeople available on request, pelase contact ruby.wright@savethechildren.org.

We have multimedia contant to accopmany this release: https://www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/Package/2O4C2S0PVFO7 

Exhibitions

UK, London, Kings Cross, 13 September – 31 October 2024

Vietnam, Hanoi, Hanoi Information and Exhibition Centre, 18 September – 22 September 2024

US, New York, UNIQLO 5th Avenue, 19 September to 31 October 2024

Sweden, Stockholm, Kings Garden, 19 September – 13 October 2024

Taiwan, Taipei, UNIQLO Taipei, 20 September – 3- October 2024

Singapore, Vivo City, 20 September – 4 October 2024

Japan, Tokyo, UN University, 19 September – 23 September 2024

Korea, Seoul, DRC Hongdae, 21 September – 25 September 2024

Italy, Rome, Galleria Alberto Sordi, 21 September – 11 October 2024

Malaysia, Petaling Jaya, Sunway University, 23 September – 25 September 2024 

UNIQLO launched the PEACE FOR ALL project on 17 June 2022, and to date has featured designs from 38 collaborators (including this most recent collection). As of July 2024, more than 5 million T-shirts have been sold worldwide, raising more than JPY 1.5 billion (approx. US$10 million). UNIQLO parent company Fast Retailing contributes 100% of profits from the sale of these T shirts (equivalent to 20% of the selling price) to three international aid organisations, UNHCR, Save the Children, and Plan International Inc., which aid people impacted by poverty, discrimination, violence, and conflict.

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DRC: Child mpox cases surge 75-fold in worst hit province as schools restart this week

Source: Save The Children

Photo by Save the Children
KINSHASA, 2 Sept 2024 – Cases of the potentially deadly mpox virus have skyrocketed about 75-fold in children and young people aged under 19 in the most severely impacted province in Democratic Republic of Congo so far this year, Save the Children said.  
Cases in the eastern province of South Kivu are spreading over twice as fast in children as in the general population, according to new analysis [1][2], as health workers race to curb the spread of the virus as the new school term starts this week. 
With delivery of vaccines to DRC and neighbouring countries delayed, it is critical that the international community steps up funding so that schools can ensure they have adequate clean water, hygiene and sanitation measures for children in the next few weeks.  Many schools  have no running water, disinfectant or soap – basic measures to prevent the spread of disease that be contracted from contaminated surfaces and objects, Save the Children said. 
Save the Children analysis of Ministry of Health data for South Kivu showed that there were 15 cases of mpox recorded in the first four weeks of the year, compared to 1,192 cases in the four weeks between 22 July and 18 August among children and young people [3]. 
The latest mpox variant, clade 1b, was detected in DRC in September 2023 and has recently been found in  neighbouring countries and other parts of the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the spread of the virus to be a public health emergency of international concern three weeks ago. 
To date about 90% of reported cases of mpox are in the DRC where it has infected at least 18,000 people and led to 615 deaths, according to the WHO. South Kivu is the epicentre, with almost half (46%) of the country’s new cases in the past four weeks (up to 18 August) in the province, the highest of any one province in the country. Of this, two thirds of cases have been in children.  
Julien Chabo Byake, Social Behavioural Change Communication Officer with Save the Children in South Kivu, is currently training communities to try to stop the spread of mpox through simple measures such as avoiding handshakes and other close contact with others. He is also working with health authorities on tackling misinformation and guiding communities about how to seek proper medical treatment. 
Health workers are having to fight socio-cultural stigma around the virus due to a widespread belief that it is spread through sexual contact and people reluctant to seek treatment for fear of isolation from their families and livelihoods. Some people have opted instead for seek help from traditional medicine practitioners or self medication which could be fatal. 
Recalling a boy of 4 or 5 years old with mpox he met at the hospital, Byake  said: 
“We saw lesions and rashes covering his body. The child was crying frequently and only wanted to be held by his mother. He had a fever and appeared very exhausted. His mother told us he hadn’t been eating, despite being offered his favourite foods, and was losing weight. His eyes were slightly red.  
“She was deeply worried and initially thought the illness was due to witchcraft or some form of harm from others […] There is a lot of misinformation in the community: some people believe this illness doesn’t exist, others claim it originated in European labs to reduce the African population, while some think it’s witchcraft or a god’s punishment for sinners. “ 
He added that there is also a part of the community that does recognise mpox as a disease, like Ebola and cholera that have also hugely impacted the country. 
Greg Ramm, Save the Children Country Director in DRC, said:  
“This country has borne the brunt of health crises before – from Ebola to cholera to measles. Enough is enough – this deadly new mpox strain should be the ultimate call for the world to commit to investing in disease control and prevention so that children and families do not suffer needlessly.  
“It’s high time children in the DRC stopped being another forgotten crisis. The world must also invest in longterm solutions, such as equitable access to vaccines and increased testing capacities.” 
Save the Children is calling for a substantial injection of funding to implement clean water, hygiene and sanitation facilities in schools and communities, so that children can play and learn safely. The organisation is also calling for support to increase awareness raising activities in schools and in the wider community.  This would also help stave off other diseases rife in DRC, such as measles, which killed nearly 6,000 people last year according to MSF [4]. 
In DRC, Save the Children is responding to the mpox outbreak in North Kivu and South Kivu through water, sanitation and health services support, including providing PPE and training leaders in engagement, communication, and community alert systems for identifying and reporting suspected cases. The outbreak is exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis, with over 7 million people displaced, primarily due to conflict and a weakened health system.   
Notes to editors  
[1] Save the Children analysed provincial data for South Kivu from the DRC’s Ministry of Health which showed a prevalence of 48 cases in the first four weeks of 2024 to 1,797 in the four weeks up to 18 August (epidemiological week 33) among all age groups. We have estimated cases among ages 0-19 by applying the age breakdown provided by the Ministry of Health for cases in South Kivu notified to the government to the wider suspected caseload in South Kivu which is somewhat larger. Save the Children applied this age disaggregation  available for notified cases in South Kivu, across the larger suspected case load week by week and estimated that there were 15 cases in the first four weeks of the year among the 0-19 age group, compared to 1,192 cases in the four weeks to 18 August. Based on notified cases in South Kivu in August so far, currently over two-thirds  are among children and young people aged up to 19.  
[2] Among all age groups, cases of the virus (based on an analysis of notified cases in South Kivu) have increased  around 35-fold in the same time period, suggesting a slower spread than just among the 0-19 age group. Government data on notified cases in South Kivu shows that the share of 0-19 year olds affected has shown a clear upward trend across 2024.  
[3] We have estimated cases among ages 0-19 by applying the age breakdown provided by the Ministry of Health for cases in South Kivu notified to the government to the wider suspected caseload in South Kivu which is larger week to week. Save the Children applied this age disaggregation available for notified cases in South Kivu, across the larger suspected case load week by week and estimated that there were 15 cases in the first four weeks of the year among the 0-19 age group, compared to 1,192 cases in the four weeks to 18 August. Based on notified cases in South Kivu in August so far, currently over two-thirds  are among children and young people aged up to 19. 
We have spokespeople available. For more information and interview requests please email:
Kunle Olawoyin, Regional Media Manager: Kunle.Olawoyin@savethechildren.org;