UNICEF condemns the killings of children in Myanmar

A playful child in Shan State, Myanmar A playful child in Shan State, Myanmar Jesse Schoff on Unsplash

11 January 2022

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), at least four children have been killed and many more have been maimed during Myanmar’s conflict

Apart from the devastating COVID-19 third wave, Myanmar's citizens are suffering exceptional political, socioeconomic, human rights, and humanitarian crises, with their needs skyrocketing since the military takeover. The crisis has deteriorated since the military took control of the country at the start of the year, deposing the democratically elected government. The crucial threshold for acute malnutrition is now predicted to be reached in 14 of the 15 states and regions.

Following severe airstrikes and mortar attacks, the body of a 13-year-old boy was discovered in Matupi, Chin State, while a 12-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy were injured by heavy weaponry in Loikaw, Kayah State. Heavy weapon fire injured a 7-year-old girl in Hpa An, Kayin State, on the same day. One 14-year-old boy and two 17-year-old boys were tragically shot on the 7th of January in Dawei Township, Tanintharyi Region. Two girls, aged one and four, were injured by artillery fire in Namkham, Shan State, on January 5.

UNICEF's Regional Director, Debora Comini, expressed her deep concern about the increasing conflict and criticized the use of airstrikes and heavy weaponry in civilian areas. She urged the parties of the conflict to give priority to the children and take precautions to protect children as per the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as Myanmar is a signatory to it. UNICEF also called for an urgent independent investigation in the recent incidents.

According to a UN Humanitarian Needs Overview published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in December, the tension in the region is likely to push over half of the population into poverty by 2022, erasing the substantial progress made since 2005. According to the analysis, 14.4 million people, or about a quarter of the population, will require help in the coming year. The total number of people affected are 6.9 million men, 7.5 million women, and five million children.

 

To read more, please visit:

https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/01/1109592

https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/mmr_humanitarian_needs_overview_2022.pdf

https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/02/1083442

https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-condemns-killing-least-four-children-during-escalation-conflict-myanmar

 

Author: Niranjana J Anil; Editor: Tiago Cotogni

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