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Extreme hunger in Haiti forcing children into armed gangs – Save the Children

Source: Save The Children

PORT-AU-PRINCE 8 May 2024 – Hunger is driving children in Haiti to join violent gang groups, with Save the Children receiving reports of some children killing, kidnapping and looting for food.  

The child rights organisation is hearing of an increasing number of children being driven to desperate measures to be able to feed themselves as Haiti grapples with record high hunger levels amid spiraling lawlessness and climate disasters.  

Violence involving gangs and armed groups has jumped by over 140% so far this year compared to 2021, according to Save the Children’s analysis of data from ACLED. [1] 

Between January and March this year, at least 82 children have been reported killed or injured by gang violence, a 55% increase compared to the last quarter of 2023, marking the most violent period for children in the country on record, according to UN verified data. Of the 82 children reported killed or injured, almost half were hit by bullets during violent gang attacks or clashes between gangs and the police.

Between 30% to 50% of armed groups in Haiti currently have children within their ranks, according to the UN. Many of these children have been forced to join armed groups, while others have joined willingly as a measure of survival.  

Haiti is currently grappling with record high hunger levels, with one in two children in the country facing acute food insecurity as gang violence has sparked food shortages.  

Jules Roberto, Save the Children’s Food and Livelihood Advisor in Haiti, said:   

“The hunger situation is so desperate our staff are hearing stories of children joining deadly gangs just so they can get food to eat – putting their lives and futures at risk. Unaccompanied children are at the greatest risk of recruitment. A hungry belly does not have ears – it will go where it can get food, even if that means killing and looting for it. 

“Most children and families we’re speaking to are struggling to even find one meal a day, and often eat expired food. Single mothers have also told our teams that they were considering or have done sex work to support their children. 

“If permanent support in displacement camps is not prioritised and scaled up, it will create a breeding ground for gangs to lure the most vulnerable children into recruitment.” 

With gangs controlling more than 90% of Port-au-Prince, families are struggling to find and afford nutritious food. Since January, the price of a food basket in the capital has soared by 21%.   

Save the Children is calling on world leaders to protect the most marginalised children in Haiti from recruitment and use by armed groups, and on UN Security Council members to use their power to end impunity for those responsible for the unlawful recruitment and use of children and other grave violation against children. The child right’s organisation is also calling on all parties in Haiti to allow immediate, sustained and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief, and on the international community to urgently increase humanitarian funding for the crisis in Haiti.  

Save the Children has been working in Haiti since 1978, in both urban and rural communities, providing cash so families can buy essentials, and delivering health and nutrition support, and supporting children in schools. 

ENDS 

Notes to Editor 

[1] Based on an analysis of violent events captured in the ACLED database where at least one of the named actors was a gang, armed group or militia, excluding domestic and foreign government forces. There has been an average of 131 such events per month in 2024, compared to 54 in 2021 and 93 last year.   

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For further enquiries please contact:

–          Samantha Halyk, Senior Global Media Manager, Samantha.halyk@savethechildren.org

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

We have Jules Roberto, Save the Children’s Food and Livelihood Advisorbased in Haiti, available as a spokesperson.

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

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Save the Children and Sesame Workshop Partner to Foster Young Children’s Climate Resilience

Source: Save The Children

  • The partnership will strengthen children and their caregivers’ capacity to adapt to the unprecedented impacts of the climate crisis

LOS ANGELES, Calif. and NEW YORK, N.Y., 7 May 2024 – Today at the 27th Annual Milken Institute Global Conference, Save the Children and Sesame Workshop announced a new partnership to support a generation of children and their caregivers to cope and thrive in the face of the climate crisis. The announcement was made by Sesame Workshop President and Interim CEO Sherrie Westin and Save the Children U.S. President and CEO Janti Soeripto, with a special guest appearance from Grover.

This new climate-response initiative aims to ensure continuity of learning amid climate disruptions, protect children’s physical and emotional well-being, and improve the ability of families, communities, and governments to prepare for and adapt to the impacts of the climate crisis. As two of the world’s leading, most trusted organizations for children, Sesame Workshop – the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street – and Save the Children, the world’s leading child rights organization, have over 150 years of combined experience centering the needs of children. This initiative will begin as a pilot and scale over time, building on a long history of successful collaboration between the two organizations.

“Though climate change affects us all, young children are bearing the brunt of its effects,” Sherrie Westin, President and Interim CEO, Sesame Workshop. “There is an urgent need to build children’s climate resilience and help them cope with the unprecedented effects of the climate crises. We’re proud to join Save the Children and local partners to give children the skills they need to face these challenges.”

The climate crisis is exacerbating existing inequities for children and communities around the world, including disruptions to education, and harm to physical health and emotional well-being. Climate-driven disasters like extreme heat and flooding disrupt the education of nearly 40 million children annually, and approximately 20,000 children are displaced daily by weather-related disasters, according to UNICEF.

This partnership aims to leverage Save the Children’s global footprint and Sesame Workshop’s educational media reach to put climate resilience tools and practices directly into the hands of young children and their caregivers. With guidance on key priorities from trusted local and national partners, they will develop new child-facing educational media; deliver community-based programs to reach children and their caregivers; and influence governments to embed these approaches in their education systems. Save the Children and Sesame Workshop are committed to allocating at least 25 percent of program funds to local and national partners to ensure those most impacted by the climate crisis are at the center of these solutions.

“Save the Children and Sesame Workshop are uniquely positioned to drive impact through our shared expertise in early childhood development,” said Janti Soeripto, President and CEO, Save the Children. “Through the powerful blend of community engagement and mass media, we aim to enable millions of children and communities to prepare for and adapt to the increasing effects of the climate crisis. By coming together with Sesame Workshop and local partners on this initiative, we are poised to meet the greatest threat facing children today.”

Sesame Workshop and Save the Children are looking for partners and funders in solutions that can be scaled up by governments and communities around the world to help children and families adapt to the growing climate crisis.

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About Sesame Workshop     
Sesame Workshop is the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street and so much more. For over 50 years, we have worked at the intersection of education, media, and research, creating joyful experiences that enrich minds and expand hearts, all in service of empowering each generation to build a better world. Our beloved characters, iconic shows, outreach in communities, and more bring playful early learning to families in more than 150 countries and advance our mission to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org and follow Sesame Workshop on Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we’ve been advocating for the rights of children worldwide. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming the future we share. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Contacts:

Jordyn Linsk

jlinsk@savechildren.org

Erin Elzo

erin.elzo@sesame.org

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Gaza: Critical aid supplies to keep children alive blocked as Israel takes over final land crossing – Save the Children

Source: Save The Children

Destroyed buildings in Khan Younis, Gaza [Sacha Myers/ Save the Children]

 

GAZA, 7 May 2024 – The takeover by Israeli forces of the Rafah crossing and the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing are blocking the last remaining entry points for aid and lifelines for children in Gaza, says Save the Children. 

 The closures will have catastrophic consequences for children and families, said the aid agency, crippling the already restricted aid response, and putting thousands more children’s lives at risk. The denial of humanitarian assistance is a Grave Violation against children, according to the UN Security Council’s 1999 Resolution on Children in Armed Conflict, and illegal under international humanitarian law. 

Since the war started following the attacks on Israel on 7 October, Rafah has been the primary entry point for aid and fuel entering Gaza, with other land crossings only partially or sporadically functioning. Even when open, it has been almost impossible for humanitarian organizations to deliver aid to families. Save the Children’s recent food delivery to families in northern Gaza took six weeks of negotiation and planning and four attempts – demonstrating the impossible conditions aid agencies have been facing. Starvation must never be used as a weapon of war and is prohibited under international humanitarian law. 

No aid has entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing since Sunday 5 May, meaning aid agencies are no longer able to get new supplies and assistance into Gaza. Kerem Shalom has also remained closed for aid distribution since Sunday evening. 

Gaza’s Ministry of Health said in a press conference on Tuesday that the closure of the Rafah crossing prevented the entry of trucks carrying medicine and medical equipment, and of fuel needed for hospitals. They also said that wounded and sick civilians who were supposed to travel today have been prevented from leaving. 

Israeli forces must halt operations in Rafah and open all available land crossings to allow aid to enter, Save the Children said.

Xavier Joubert, Save the Children’s Country Director in the occupied Palestinian territory, said: 

“’It was hard to believe that things could get worse given the restrictions already in place – but here we are. Today marks seven months since the beginning of this brutal war, but also one of the darkest days, as the last airway for the aid response is choked before our eyes. Blocking aid puts children`s lives at risk. This assault on Rafah is fatal – the increase in airstrikes seen so far has already claimed dozens of young lives. Beyond the direct casualties, one million children’s lives will hang in the balance. 

All crossing points into Gaza must be opened immediately to full capacity, and rehabilitated if needed, so that aid groups have safe, unimpeded access to deliver aid to children and families who need it, wherever they are. Without access, the aid response will quickly grind to a halt, wiping out Palestinian children’s chances of survival. 

 There is still time to stop a ground incursion in Rafah. The international community must use all pressure possible to uphold their responsibilities under the Geneva Conventions and prevent the more serious crimes against civilians and against children.” 

 

Save the Children is calling for an immediate, definitive ceasefire to save and protect the lives of children in Gaza, and for the warring parties to adhere to International Humanitarian Law, for Israel to uphold the International Court of Justice ruling and refrain from actions which undermine the provisional measures indicated by the ICJ.  The international community remains bound by their obligations under IHL, and the ICJ ruling, to ensure Palestinians are protected.

 

Save the Children has been providing essential services and support to Palestinian children impacted by the ongoing occupation since 1953. Save the Children is taking steps to support and protect its staff and continue helping children and families across Gaza. Save the Children is constantly monitoring the situation in Rafah to see if and when it will continue its operations. 

 

For further enquiries please contact:

Randa Ghazy, Regional Media Manager for North Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe: Randa.Ghazy@savethechildren.org;

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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Children in Pacific Island countries face increasing levels of violence

Source: Save The Children

WELLINGTON, 7 May – Children in five Pacific Island countries are facing increasing levels of physical, sexual, emotional, and online violence at home, school and their communities, according to new research from Save the Children.
Released today, Save the Children’s ‘Pacific Regional Child Protection Situational Analysis’ shows child protection risks have increased for children in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Tonga over the past five years due to COVID-19, increased migration, climate change, and digital connectivity.
About 150 children aged 8-16 participated in focus group discussions, alongside 150 caregivers across five Pacific Island countries – Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. The research included group and child-led discussions and surveys.
More than 80% of the 110 child protection professionals surveyed in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Fiji said emotional, physical and sexual violence had increased or significantly increased in their country. Children also shared that violence has increased in the past five years since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supported by Aotearoa New Zealand’s International Development Cooperation Programme — Ngā Hoe Tuputupu-mai-tawhiti – the research was designed by the team at Nossal Institute for Global Health, School of Population and Global Health, the University of Melbourne and Macquarie University, with input from in-country researchers and Save the Children staff.
Forms of violence experienced by children in the five pacific island countries studied include family violence, physical violence, neglect, sexual violence and intimate partner violence at home.
While at school or on the way to school, children also reported experiencing corporal and humiliating punishment, bullying, or insults. Child marriage, labour trafficking, and sexual abuse can also take place in some communities, while online, digital harm such as cyber bullying and exposure to indecent material and pornography is increasing, the study found.
One child protection worker said:
“There was a recent referral of a 14-year-old boy who, on his way to school, decided to take a shortcut and there were men drinking and they raped him. We are telling parents to look after their boys and girls, not just girls.”
Children and caregivers alike said that the subject of violence against children was often seen as “taboo”, with one child in Papua New Guinea saying they “feel scared to [report] because our mother and father will belt us”.
Children also identified serious concerns around online safety, including encountering inappropriate content, and cyberbullying leading to emotional harm and even suicide.
75 percent of the world’s children experience violence. Violence takes many forms, including physical and emotional abuse, sexual abuse and exploitation, and neglect or deliberate deprivation. Growing up with violence, and the threat of violence, can lead to life-long physical, emotional, and mental health problems.[1]
Save the Children New Zealand Advocacy and Research Director Jacqui Southey said while the report shows progress has been made in legislative and policy reform to improve child protection, implementation is challenging, due to under-resourcing, shortages in the number and quality of skilled social workers across child protection services, and deeply entrenched social norms and beliefs that reinforce harmful behaviours and power imbalances.
“The research shows the deeply entrenched and pervasive nature of violence against children across many Pacific countries. But it also points to ways in which we can do better for children.”
Save the Children is calling for governments across the region to continue to show leadership in ending violence against children by urgently prioritising relevant legislative and policy reform, such as raising the age of marriage in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands and increasing long-term financing in the child protection system.
The child rights organisation is also calling on partner governments, such as New Zealand and Australia, civil society organisations and donors to provide long-term support and funding for locally-led initiatives that provide solutions at all levels to eliminate violence against children.
Save the Children has been working in the Pacific region for more than 50 years and has offices and programmes in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Tonga. We work with governments, local partners and communities to deliver child protection, healthcare, education, disaster risk reduction and climate resilience programmes.
NOTES TO EDITOR
Researchers in each country independently conducted primary data collection in 2023, including research discussions with younger children led by adolescent facilitators in Fiji and Solomon Islands. Data was analysed by the Nossal Institute team, with input from the in-country researchers.
The Pacific Regional Child Protection Situational Analysis presents data from a literature review (comprising of academic and wider research, including reports from the UN and NGOs working in the Pacific), as well as primary research. The literature review informed the development of methods for primary data collection. These included online surveys, interviews with child protection stakeholders, focus group discussions with caregivers and children, and child led research. Refer to research methodology for more information.
The research design varied between countries based on complementary research projects taking place at the same time. Ethics approval was obtained from Save the Children’s Ethics Committee in the United States and the Solomon Islands Health Research and Ethics Review Board. Data from the literature review and the different primary sources were triangulated to present country reports.
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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.

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Save the Children warns of deadly consequences for children following new relocation orders for families in Rafah

Source: Save The Children

GAZA, 6 May 2024 – Time has run out to protect children in Rafah with the looming ground assault forcing hundreds of thousands to flee and impeding aid efforts in Gaza’s ‘last refuge’, Save the Children said.

On Monday 6 May Israeli forces issued relocation orders demanding civilians in eastern Rafah to flee to the Israeli-designated so called ‘humanitarian zone’ in Al-Mawasi, which is reportedly simultaneously being enlarged. At the same time, the orders urge civilians not to move to Gaza City and Wadi Gaza area, leaving people with no options.

The orders follow a night of intense bombardment in Rafah, killing at least 22 people including eight children. Also last night, attacks on the Kerem Shalom crossing reportedly killed 3 people. There has been no coordination between Israeli authorities and aid agencies via formal humanitarian coordination structures prior to the reported expansion of the so-called ‘humanitarian zone’ in Al-Mawasi.

Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children International said:

“We hoped this day would never come. For weeks we have been warning there is no feasible evacuation plan to lawfully displace and protect civilians. For weeks, we have been warning of the devastating consequences this will have for children and our ability to assist them in an already straight-jacketed response. For weeks, we have been calling for preventive action. Instead, the international community has looked away. They cannot look away now.

“The announced incursion will not only risk the lives of over 600,000 children but will at best disrupt and at worst cause the collapse of the humanitarian aid response currently struggling to keep Gaza’s population alive. The aid response is concentrated in Rafah, the only crossing permitted for aid agencies like Save the Children. We now see the coordination system established there being at risk of disruption – the warehouses, the vehicles, the offices, the staff accommodation. There is nowhere safe in Gaza, and, under current restrictions, there is nowhere people can access the basics needed for them to survive. Forcibly displacing people from Rafah while further disrupting the aid response will likely seal the fate of many children.

“We had already run out of words to describe how catastrophic the situation is in Rafah – but this next chapter will take it to indescribable new levels. More than half of Gaza’s population have fled to Rafah and are left with nowhere safe to go. Many are injured, or simply too old, ill or weak to flee again. Families are desperately trying to keep their children from starving, with malnutrition already claiming lives. The entire population in Gaza is experiencing extreme hunger and we know that the imminent incursion will impact children’s access to food, water and medical care at the time they need it most. Denial of humanitarian access is a grave violation against children, starvation must never be used as a weapon of war. 

“We call on all States to act now to protect civilians and prevent atrocity crimes in Rafah. The Government of Israel must abide by the prohibition of forcible transfer and deportation of civilians under international humanitarian law and provide civilians with essential necessities for survival. Now more than ever we need an immediate, definitive ceasefire, implemented by warring parties. There is so much more that can and must be done to save children’s lives.”

Save the Children has been providing essential services and support to Palestinian children since 1953. Save the Children has put all possible measures in place to support its staff, keep them safe, and keep supporting children and families across the Gaza Strip. However, these options are limited by the conduct of hostilities – nowhere is safe in Gaza, including for our staff and partners.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

[1] To abide by the absolute prohibition of forcible transfer and deportation of civilians under international humanitarian law, Israel is obliged to take “all possible measures” to provide evacuated civilians with essential necessities for survival and guarantees of a safe and dignified return once hostilities end. Such measures include ensuring adequate safety and protection, shelter, water, sanitation, healthcare, and nutrition. As of today, no such place inside Gaza exists.

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Dozens reported killed and injured in DRC displacement camp amid shell explosions

Source: Save The Children

KINSHASA, 3 May 2024 – Shells hit a displacement camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) today, prompting aid workers to temporarily evacuate and resulting in up to 40 reported deaths and many others injured, with children among the casualties, Save the Children said.  

Save the Children, along with a local NGO partner, was present at the Lushagala camp this morning for the distribution of hygiene kits when a shell exploded approximately 30 metres ahead of their vehicle. The shell detonated near a bustling market within the overcrowded displacement camp outside of Goma.  

Community reports suggest about 40 people have been killed with many others injured, although Save the Children has not been able to independently verify this number. All of Save the Children’s staff and its local partner are accounted for.  

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

“The reports from the camp are horrifying. Dozens of civilians have been injured, some have lost limbs.  Most of those injured are women and children.  Some of our staff and partner staff were briefly trapped inside the camp before quickly getting out to safety. However, thousands of children and families living in the camps do not have the same privilege of being able to leave for somewhere safer. A tent does not offer much protection from shelling.  

“What happened today is another grim reminder that the DRC continues to be one of the most dangerous places to be a child, and children and the most vulnerable are bearing the brunt of this crisis.  

“Protection of civilians, especially children and families living in displacement camps, must be priortised and support must be scaled up. More needs to be done, now, to reduce the use of these devastating weapons, especially so close to where children and their families are sheltering for safety. Save the Children is calling for all parties to the conflict to end the use of explosive weapons in the proximity of populated areas and ensure aid workers have immediate, sustained and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief to reach those who need it most.” 

Save the Children started working in the DRC in 1994 to meet humanitarian needs linked to the arrival of refugees and the displacement of populations due to armed conflict in eastern provinces. Save the Children has scaled up its humanitarian response to support existing care systems, training local leaders and communities to prevent and respond to exploitation and abuse, and ensuring access to healthcare through mobile clinics. It is also helping children access basic education by building classrooms, training teachers, and distributing learning materials. 

 

ENDS 

For further enquiries please contact:

Ruby Wright, ruby.wright@savethechildren.org

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

 

Ruby Wright l Global Media Manager

Email: ruby.wright@savethechildren.org

Phone/Whatsapp: (44) 7969983222

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

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Maternal health: Nearly one in five children born in 2024 will enter the world without medical care, putting them and mothers at risk

Source: Save The Children

Rahma* who was able to deliver her baby Ahmed* safely in a hospital in Somalia. Photo by Save the Children. More content available here 

Content available here 

GLOBAL, FRIDAY 3 MAY 2024 – Nearly one in five children (17.9%) born this year will enter the world without a doctor, midwife or nurse present, putting them and their mothers in danger, as conflict and climate change place critical maternal health services out of reach, Save the Children saidi. 

New analysis by the child rights organisation also found that more than a fifth of births (22.2%) will take place outside a health facility [1], with this figure rising to nearly half in conflict zones. The briefing, Silent Emergency: Women Dying, to Give Life estimates that 24 million mothers will give birth without a doctor, midwife or nurse, and 28 million will give birth outside a health facility. 

A rise in conflict, climate-related disasters and humanitarian emergencies as well as the looming threat of pushback against reproductive health and human rights are putting the brakes on progress towards a world where childbirth is no longer a deadly threat for millions of women, Save the Children said.  

Somalia is grappling with the devastating impact of the climate crisis and is one of the world’s 10 worst conflict-affected countries for children. Across the country, only 31.9% of women give birth with a doctor, midwife or nurse present – the lowest rate of skilled birth attendance in the world.  

Rahma*, 32, recently gave birth in the Beledweyne hospital, supported by Save the Children and the Damal Caafimaad Project [2]. She said her previous home births were traumatic. She said: “When I gave birth to my last child at home, it was tough. I couldn’t find a professional nurse and I had a lot of bleeding. It was a dangerous situation – I almost died.” 

After such a difficult childbirth at home, she was able to have her next child in the hospital under the care of the midwifery team.  “After a few hours of hard labour, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy, called Ahmed*. They took good care of both of us right after the birth and before I left the hospital, I talked to a nurse about breastfeeding and the support I could get.” 

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme heat and wildfires, which are associated with heightened risks of preterm birth, stillbirths and pregnancy complications, Save the Children said.  

With global conflict increasing year on year, the analysis found that pregnant mothers in warzones are three times more likely to give birth without a doctor, midwife or nurse. Analysis also found almost half of births (44%) in conflict zones take place outside a health facility compared to 15% of births elsewhere.   

Nowhere has the devastating impact of conflict been more evident than in Gaza, where six months of constant bombardment, siege and obstruction of aid deliveries have annihilated the health system.  Recent analysis by Save the Children found that at least 435 attacks on health facilities or personnel between 7 October 2023 and early April 2024 – equivalent to 73 attacks per month of war [3].  

Action on maternal health worldwide was advancing a decade ago, but progress to achieve the UN goal of 70 deaths per 100,000 births globally by 2030 is now stalling [4]. Research from the World Health Organisation last year found that a woman dies from complications due to childbirth or pregnancy every two minutes. 

Governments must protect the lives of women and children through strong primary health care, comprehensive sexual and reproductive services and education, underpinned by effective, sustainable financing, Save the Children said. Leaders must also stand firm against rolling back progress on sexual and reproductive health and human rights.  

Marionka Pohl, Global Head of Health Policy and Advocacy at Save the Children, said:  

“In both conflict zones and climate change hotspots, children suffer first and worst – even from the moment they take their first breaths. Mothers and babies in these contexts are more likely to be in danger – leading to more children growing up without a mother and more mothers going through the distress of losing their newborns.  

“All women, even in the most remote and dangerous areas of the world, should have access to medical care, and equipment, as well as the right to access reproductive services and education. It is critical that we act now – if we drop the ball on the progress we’ve made over the past few decades it is women and children who will pay the price.” 

Content available here 

*Names have been changed 

[1] The World Bank defines a health facility as: A physical structure, varying from a large complex of buildings to a single room in a house, from which health services are offered by a doctor, nurse, or midwife. 

[2] Supported by the Damal Caafimaad Project, Save the Children reopened the Beledweyne hospital in October 2023, which had not been fully operational for over a decade. Contributing to reducing the number of mothers and babies dying, the hospital’s maternal health services – including antenatal care, postnatal care, and carrying out caesarean sections – has helped over 15,000 patients. 

[3] Save the Children’s Emergency Health Unit has established maternal health services in Al Mawasi to provide emergency obstetric care for women to deliver safely, supported by skilled midwives who can see 100 patients a day, including the provision of antenatal care and postnatal care services. 

Methodology 

The figures are calculations done by Save the Children UK’s research and data hub using publicly available demographic and health statistics. We use the latest available data points on births attended by a skilled health professional (%) and births in a health facility (%) from UNICEF Data. Projections on total new births in 2024 is taken from World Population Prospects – Population Division – United Nations. The analysis was performed using country-specific estimates from UNICEF of skilled birth attendance and births in health facilities, which were then aggregated to a global level. However, as a consequence, global numbers may vary slightly between our estimates and other published estimates. Countries affected by conflict are identified by the World Bank classification for Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations for the current financial year. All figures are expressed in millions.   

For further enquiries please contact:

 

Emily Wight, Emily.Wight@savethechildren.org; 

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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GAZA: Injured children struggling to recover amid decimated health system after witnessing horrific scenes

Source: Save The Children

Ahmed* (10) receives physiotherapy to repair his injured leg in Gaza. [Sacha Myers/ Save the Children] 

 

GAZA, 1 May 2024 – In bombed-out Gaza, thousands of child amputees and injured children are struggling to recover without adequate pain relief and devices like wheelchairs, according to Save the Children emergency medical staff, with the looming Rafah incursion threatening to kill and maim more children. 

Over six months of war in Gaza, the rate of attacks on healthcare in Gaza has been higher than in any other recent conflict globally, according to Save the Children analysis. 

UNICEF found that more than 1,000 children underwent leg amputations, between October and November 2023. It’s likely that many more children have suffered leg and arm amputations since then, including babies as young as one year old. 

 Amid a decimated health system, doctors and nurses are adopting breathing and distraction techniques to try to avoid inflicting extra trauma on children by causing pain during treatment. 

 

The life of 13-year-old Solave* changed when a bomb hit her aunt’s house, where she was sheltering, and doctors had to amputate her leg. Her family said Solave* was receiving treatment at Al Shifa hospital when fighting once again reached the hospital, forcing them to leave her on her own at the hospital for 15 days. Her mother Basema* said that during the hospital siege Solave’s bandages weren’t changed regularly and her wounds became infected.    

Basema* said: 

“The doctors decided to amputate her leg because they couldn’t save it with treatment. When I told my daughter her leg was gone, she was confused. She felt like her leg was still there, she was staring at me and my husband. She was in denial that her leg was gone. 

“We tried to offer her support and reassure her that she would get a prosthetic leg. But she was asking how she would get to her classroom because it’s on the third floor of her school. Before the war, she loved to swim and draw, but since her injury all her thoughts are on her leg, and how she will walk again. Now she’s only thinking about how much pain she feels when they change the dressing.”  

Ahmed*, 10, used to live near Gaza City with his family of eight. One afternoon in March, he was playing outside with other children when an airstrike hit a nearby area and some rocket shrapnel tore into his leg, breaking his right thigh. Ahmed’s father Mohammed* said that after taking him to a crowded hospital, Ahmed* was left on the floor for four hours lying in his own blood before there was a bed available for him. Medical staff were carrying out operations in the same room, so he had to cover his son’s eyes.

Mohammed* said: 

“My son witnessed things that children should not see. Scenes of blood, his leg being broken, scenes of children being killed around him. Now he talks about what happened to him all the time. He talks about his dead cousin and his other friends who died. He’s always talking about missiles. He even talks about it in his sleep. The scenes he has seen are terrible. One of the girls had her head split open. His cousin had a severe head injury and was in the ambulance with Ahmed.” 

In any conflict involving explosive weapons, children are seven times more likely to die from blast injuries than adults. They tend to experience different types of injuries than adults and require specialist care that accounts for their physiology and growth. 

Xavier Joubert, Save the Children’s Country Director in the occupied Palestinian territory, said: 

“Our paediatric staff say they are seeing lots of children with injuries caused by explosive weapons who are suffering unimaginable physical and mental harm. Children who have suffered life-changing injuries don’t have the sustained, specialist treatment they need – from effective pain relief to long-term rehabilitation – or even a safe home to go back to.  They live in overcrowded displacement camps, sharing a tent with their whole family, and sanitation facilities with hundreds of people.  

What is worse, over 600,000 children currently in Rafah are waiting for a potential ground incursion which would leave absolutely no escape for children, likely exposing them to more explosive weapons. All parties to the conflict must end the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and reach an immediate and definitive ceasefire, it is the only way to save children’s lives.” 

Save the Children has been providing essential services and support to Palestinian children impacted by the ongoing conflict since 1953. Our Emergency Health Unit (EHU) is in Gaza, working through a partner to provide specialised paediatric services for children in a field hospital established by a partner in in Al-Mawasi. Paediatric staff are treating children with minor injuries, critically ill children and newborns.  

More content here:

Ahmed’s* story 

Solave’s* story

Staff vlogs

For further enquiries please contact:

Randa Ghazy, Regional Media Manager for North Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe: Randa.Ghazy@savethechildren.org;

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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MALI: 80,000 children trapped and running out of food in second blockaded town

Source: Save The Children

BAMAKO, 1 MAY 2024 – Armed groups have trapped more than 140,000 people, including over 80,000 children, in the town of Menaka in Mali, where they are facing malnutrition and disease, following a similar blockade of the city of Timbuktu, Save the Children said.

A four-month blockade of Menaka by armed groups follows a similar siege in the historic city of Timbuktu, which started in August 2023 and remains in place, although some small amount of aid is now getting through.

As the siege in Menaka drags on, supplies in the city have reached critically low levels, with government and aid groups only able to deliver a very limited amount of food, medicines, and other essential items. Over 80,000 children are trapped in Menaka, nearly a third of whom (33,600) have already fled fighting in other parts of the country and are staying in temporary shelters in camps and with host families.

Save the Children staff who recently had a rare chance to get into the town to carry out a week-long needs assessment were trapped there for three weeks, the aid group said.

Safiatou*, 55, fled fighting in her village to come to Menaka and is now caregiver to six unaccompanied children. She said: “We came to Menaka after fleeing four months of terror in our village. We have no business or income – we lost everything. It’s the little helpers that keep us going. Some households are struggling just to have one meal a day. Our children are suffering from this chaotic situation, and we do not have what we need to provide for them.”

According to the Cadre Harmonisé 2024 – a regional framework to identify food and nutrition insecurity in the Sahel and West Africa – over 40,000 people in Menaka are already facing emergency levels of hunger, and over 800 people in catastrophic levels of food insecurity, due to a combination of rising violence and climate change. The situation is set to deteriorate in June, with over 49,000 people projected to be in the catastrophe phase of food insecurity – and needing immediate support to meet their basic needs.

Without aid arriving to these communities, there is the potential for total collapse of livelihoods and large-scale deaths in coming months, said Save the Children. Last year – before the siege began – a survey by the National Institute of Statistics report (INSTAT) showed that 19% of children in Menaka were experiencing either moderate acute malnutrition or severe acute malnutrition.

The blockade follows the siege of Timbuktu which began in August, trapping more than 136,000 people including nearly 74,000 children in the historic city and leading to a humanitarian catastrophe. While the blockade remains in place, some aid and supplies have been allowed to enter the city in recent months.

Siaka Ouattara, Country Director of Save the Children in Mali, said:

“Children in Menaka are trapped in a living nightmare. Let us be clear: unless the blockade is lifted , starvation and disease will led to deaths.

“A third of these children fled to Menaka thinking it was a safe refuge from violence back home. Many of these children are unaccompanied and separated – at grave risk of exploitation and abuse. They are unable to get the protection and support they need.

“We call on all actors to allow unfettered humanitarian access to populations in Ménaka who are in dire need of assistance.”

Save the Children has been working in Mali for over 35 years, with a presence in six regions. Save the Children has carried out a rapid multi-sectoral assessment in the town of Menaka and hopes to deliver aid to Safiatou* and others as soon as the blockade ends, and aid delivery is possible.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

 The number of children trapped inside Menaka was calculated by:

  1. Working out the number of children from population of Menaka by working out 55,8% of 85 836 (source: Cadre harmonisé 2024). We used the calculation of 55,8% to have the share part of children )
  2. Working out the number of children from internally displaced people (IDPs) in Menaka by working out 58% of 57,931 (source: “Matrice de Suivi des déplacements, Direction Nationale du Développement Sociale). We added  47 897 with  33,600 = 81 497

*name changed to protect anonymity

 

For further enquiries please contact:

 

Emily Wight, Emily.Wight@savethechildren.org; 

 

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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Guide: What to do when parenting under pressure

Source: Save The Children

Being a parent is not easy.

The pressure of social expectations on how best to raise our children, together with trying to be the best version of ourselves not only as a parent but as a partner, friend or colleague can be hard.

This, coupled with ongoing uncertainty due to rising conflict, the cost of living crisis and the devastating and more frequent extreme weather events can make parenting our children even more difficult.

We hear you, we know it can be a challenge. As leaders in child rights, our team of psychologists have come up with a guide to help you take care of yourself and your family. 

9 TIPS ON HOW TO PARENT UNDER PRESSURE:

1. Share the love

Give your child extra love, warmth and attention – it’ll make them feel safe and secure. Show them that you love them and that you are in this situation together. Hug them, cuddle them, talk, listen to their thoughts, ideas and concerns.

2. Create a routine

Sit down together to come up with a simple daily routine of exercise, learning and play to help bring a sense of normality. Be prepared to change it if it’s not working for either of you.

Jana*, age 13, drawing at home with her mother Amari and siblings. Save the Children / Charlie Forgham Bailey

3. Involve children

You can give children a greater sense of security and control by involving them in routine jobs around the house, problem solving and including them in everyday decisions about what you do as a family.

4. Look after you

Think about what you can do to help yourself relax and sleep well. Use the time when children are in bed to do what relaxes you – listen to music, do yoga, call a friend, whatever works for you.

Widad*, 8, looks up at Ghalia*, 41, during a psychosocial support session in Syria. Khalil Ashawi / Save the Children

5. Give praise

Criticism and nagging can actually increase conflict. Even when the child does something wrong, pick up on anything they did well. Make your praise as specific as possible, based on what they do…

Examples:

“Well done setting the table”

“Well done putting your shoes away”

6. Actively listen

Children can be overwhelmed by emotions. Help them put words to this to help them understand their emotions, for example, by saying, “you seem sad right now” or “I can see you are frustrated”.

Young children often find it easier to speak while doing another activity, or may want time to think before they know how to react.

Mykola*, 9 and his grandmother Daryna*, pose for a photo in a kindergarten which is their home now in Poltava, East Ukraine. Anastasiia Zahoskina/Save the Children

7. Manage the child’s anger

Comfort, calm, rock and speak calmly with your child when they are highly stressed or angry. This way, your child will gradually learn how to handle stress.

8. Manage your anger

Count to 10 before you say or do anything. If you still feel angry, walk away and give yourself time to calm down.

  • Breathe deeply and repeat a calming phrase to yourself like ‘one day at a time’, ‘deep breaths’, ‘calm down’ or ‘take it easy’.
  • Put your hands behind your back and tell yourself to wait. Don’t say anything until you have calmed down.

9. Apologise

If you interact with the child in a way you regret, say you’re sorry. You’ll be teaching them something important about respect and taking responsibility for your actions.

Do you know a child or an adult this could help? Share it with them!