Category: New Zealand NGOs

Source: Save The Children

BOLIVIA, 1 March 2024 – More than 40,000 children in Bolivia have been affected by landslides, floods, and flash floods, and 12 have died in the past month, many forced from their homes, unable to attend school and more vulnerable to violence, Save the Children said.

 

The recent climate disaster – that has caused at least 42 deaths including 12 children – comes after torrential rains followed months of severe drought that dried up lakes and rivers, caused unprecedented heat waves and forest fires, and one of the country’s hottest winters. 

 

 Extreme weather events in Bolivia are becoming more frequent and severe due to the climate crisis. The return of El Niño phenomenon this year has brought more intense weather extremes and a rise in temperatures, exacerbating the already accelerating impacts of the climate crisis. 

 

Save the Children Bolivia is working with the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies in Bolivia (CAHB), and the authorities of the most affected departments and municipalities to support those impacted. At present, all nine departments of the country – La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Oruro, Potosí, Chuquisaca, Tarija, Pando, Beni – are on the highest alert. 

 

This will include providing cash transfers to families affected by the landslide in the municipality of Achocalla, in the department of La Paz, where a 35-year-old woman and her two children were buried in a landslide. Cash transfers  help families to access basic supplies for their survival. 

 

Marianela Montes de Oca, Save the Children Bolivia Country Director, said: 

 

“Bolivia is suffering from this flooding. Thousands of children are being affected, and are exposed to multiple threats, including disease outbreaks, access to safe water, access to food, disruptions to education, and violence.  

 

“Climate disasters leave children homeless, out of school, hungry, and fearful that floods, flash floods, and landslides will take the lives of their loved ones. We are working with local authorities and communities to address these adverse events and related hazards, increasingly linking our humanitarian response work with medium- and long-term climate change adaptation.” 

 

A large part of the population in Bolivia is food insecure, mainly those in rural areas. Food insecurity in the country will continue to worsen as weather extremes become more severe and frequent, decimating vital farming and livestock. 

 

Save the Children has been working in Bolivia since November 1985. The charity focuses on education, health and nutrition, child protection, child poverty, governance, and humanitarian emergencies. In 2023 the organization supported more than 122,000 people, including about 83,000 children. 

 

ENDS 

 

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For further enquiries please contact:

Maria Gabriela Alvarado  maria.alvarado@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.

 

Floods and landslides disrupt the lives of 40,000 children in Bolivia – Save the Children 

Source: Save The Children

GAZA, 29 February 2024 – As children in Gaza die due to a lack of food, their parents are being killed trying to get it for them, Save the Children said, after at least 104 people were  reported killed and 760 injured while queueing for flour in Gaza. 

Jason Lee, Country Director for Save the Children in the occupied Palestinian territory, said: “The reports emerging are beyond horrific. A queue for lifesaving food became a line-up for death. While children are dying from lack of food, their parents are dying trying to get it. There must be an immediate, impartial investigation into what has happened, and there must be actions taken to ensure adherence to international humanitarian law. Civilians cannot be denied life-saving assistance, or killed trying to get help. 

“Children and families have been forced to take desperate measures to survive Now ,while waiting to get what they can to keep their families alive, people are killed and injured – with nowhere to go for effective medical treatment as health facilities have been decimated after nearly five months of bombardment. We need a definitive ceasefire immediately.” 

ENDS

For further enquiries please contact:

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

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

Source: Save The Children

MANILA, 29 February 2024 – Sex education in homes and schools and more adolescent-friendly health services are crucial in the Philippines to address a 35% hike in pregnancies of girls aged 15 and under between 2021 and 2022, Save the Children said.

New data released this week has raised concerns across the country which, despite some progress, has one of the highest adolescent birth rates in Asia[1] partly due to social and cultural pressures, poverty, limited sex education, and restricted access to contraceptives.[2]

The legal age of consent in the Philippines was raised from 12 to 16 in 2022 but written parental consent is still needed for children aged 18 and below to access contraceptives.

Childbearing in adolescence often causes a ripple effect, including increased risks for poor health outcomes for both mother and child, and often lower educational attainment and employability.

Mothers under 15 are also twice as likely to die from complications in pregnancy or childbirth as women between the ages of 20 and 30.[3]

In March, a bill that aims to increase access to sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents, including contraception, is expected to pass the Senate and become law.[4]

Successive governments have tried to tackle the country’s family planning issues and in 2012 the Philippines adopted legislation that requires government hospitals to offer reproductive health services and for government schools to teach sex education in the Catholic-majority country.[5]

Save the Children Philippines’ Technical Adviser for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Shebana Alqaseer said:

“Establishing adolescent-friendly health facilities and services, along with comprehensive sex education in schools and homes, is crucial in addressing early and unintended pregnancies. The consequences of early childbearing can be devastating, affecting not only young mothers but also their children, families, and the broader society. Together, we must create a culture where barriers are addressed, and where all adolescents and their families have access to accurate information and services, empowering them to make informed decisions and enhance their overall well-being.”

Save the Children Philippines is helping parents and caregivers to communicate with adolescent children about sexuality and reproductive health through Healthy, Empowered and Responsible Teens or our “HEART to Heart” programme in all three major islands across the country: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Save the Children has been working in the Philippines since 1981 with programmes in humanitarian response, health and nutrition, education, and children’s rights and protection.

ENDS

 

[1] https://philippines.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/UNFPA_Policy_Brief_Teenage_Pregnancy_%282020-01-24%29.pdf

[2] WHO https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy

[3] https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/article/only-child-already-mother/

[4]https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/can-new-law-help-tackle-philippines-teen-pregnancy-emergency

[5] https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/18730-rh-law-the-long-and-rough-road/

 

Note to editors:

Total live births among girls aged 15 or under rose by 35 % from 2,320 live births in 2021 to 3,135 births in 2022 – Philippine Statistics Authority (https://psa.gov.ph/).

 

For further enquiries please contact:

Amy Lefevre, Global Media Manager, Asia: Amy.Lefevre@savethechildren.org

Kay Maatubang, Brand and Integrated Communications Manager, Save the Children Philippines: felycora.maatubang@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.

 

 

Source: Save The Children

[Design: Cameron Kirkcaldy/ Save the Children]

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notes to editors

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

For further enquiries please contact:

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

Randa Ghazy, Randa.Ghazy@savethechildren.org

Source: Save The Children

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ENDS

Notes to editor:

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

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 For further enquiries please contact:

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

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

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

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

Source: Save The Children

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ENDS

Source: Save The Children

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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For further enquiries please contact:

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

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

Source: Save The Children

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For further enquiries please contact:

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

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

Source: Save The Children

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

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

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Who are refugees and internally displaced peoples (IDPs)?

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

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

The difference between them is simple:

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

How many refugees and IDPs are there?

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

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

What countries do most refugees come from?

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

AFGHANISTAN

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

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

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

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

Learn more about what’s happening in Afghanistan

SYRIA

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

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

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

Learn more about what’s happening in Syria

UKRAINE

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

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

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

As the war enters its third year:

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

Learn more about what’s happening in Ukraine

How does displacement affect children?

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

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

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

What is Save the Children doing to help?

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

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

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

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

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

Donate now to protect children’s lives and futures

Source: Save The Children

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NGO Signatories

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

ACTED

Action Against Hunger (ACF)

ActionAid

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

arche noVa

CARE

Caritas Ukraine

Caritas Zaporizhzhia

Corus International

CUAMM – Doctors with Africa

Danish Refugee Council

Estonian Refugee Council

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

FHI 360

Fida International Ukraine

Finn Church Aid

Help-Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe

Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation

Humanity & Inclusion – Handicap International (HI)

humedica e.V.

International Rescue Committee

INTERSOS

La Chaîne de L’espoir

Lutheran World Federation

MAG (Mines Advisory Group)

Medair

Médecins du Monde International Network

Medical Teams International

Mercy Corps

Nonviolent Peaceforce

Norwegian Refugee Council

Oxfam

People in Need

Plan International

Premiere Urgence Internationale

Right to Protection

Save the Children

Solidarités international

Stichting Vluchteling (The Netherlands Refugee Foundation)

Terre des Hommes

Паросток// Parostok

UK-Med Ukraine

Ukrainian Red Cross Society

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

Welthungerhilfe

World Vision International

ZDOROVI

ГО “Дівчата”// NGO “Girls”

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

Єдність чеснот//NGO “Unity of Virtue”

-END-

Notes for editors: 

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

Key facts:

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

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

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

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

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

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