End To Killing Of Children, UN Committee Urges

THERE are 468 million children worldwide living in armed conflict zones, according to Save the Children’s research, accounting for about 20% of the world’s 2.4 billion children population, based on UNICEF’s statistics. One out of every five children worldwide are living within armed conflict zones.

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Press Release: UN Treaty Bodies
Dated Tuesday, 21 November 2023, 1:30 am - here is a copy in full:

End To Killing Of Children In Armed Conflict, UN Committee Urges

World’s Children Day
20 November 2023

GENEVA (20 November 2023) – With one out of every five children worldwide living within armed conflict zones, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child marks World Children’s Day in a sombre mood and calls for ceasefires and a return to basics of humanitarian law to safeguard all children. The Committee today issued the following statement:

“World Children’s Day has generally been regarded as a day to celebrate the gains made since the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. Thirty-four years later today, it, however, has become a day for mourning for the many children who have recently died in armed conflict. 

More than 4,600 children have been killed in Gaza in only five weeks. This war has claimed the lives of more children in a shorter time and with a level of brutality that we have not witnessed in recent decades.

The Committee has previously urged for a ceasefire. Unfortunately, the UN Security Council has not put its weight behind that call. While the 15 November 2023 resolution of the Security Council calling for humanitarian pauses and corridors is a positive step by the international community, it does not end the war that is waging on children – it simply makes it possible for children to be saved from being killed on some days, but not on other days.

There are 468 million children worldwide living in armed conflict zones, according to Save the Children’s research, accounting for about 20% of the world’s 2.4 billion children population, based on UNICEF’s statistics.

On World Children's Day, the Committee also wants to underscore that while the armed conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is at the forefront of our minds, we remain acutely concerned that thousands of children are dying in armed conflict in many parts of the world, including in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Myanmar, Haiti, Sudan, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia. Verified figures show that in 2022, the global figure of children killed or maimed was 8,630. Of deep concern is the fact that up to 4,000 children were denied humanitarian access last year. 

Given the current situation in Gaza, the number of child victims of these grave human rights violations is rising exponentially.

The plight of girls affected by armed conflict is also at a crisis point. In Sudan and Haiti, there are verified reports of abduction and rape of girls, and concerns have been raised by the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children about the deterioration in access to humanitarian services is driving girls towards being recruited by armed groups.

Children of so-called ‘foreign fighters’ are a further area of concern. The Committee has recommended in three complaints under its communications procedure that children in the camps in Northeast Syria should be repatriated. 

While some States have acted to return children and their mothers, an estimated 31,000 children are still living in abysmal conditions in the camps. The Committee also remains very concerned about boys who are being separated from their mothers when they reach early adolescence, as well as several hundred boys who are in prison.

The Committee recognises World Children’s Day in a sombre mood. In the face of wars affecting children around the globe, we call again for ceasefires, for a return to the basics of humanitarian law, and for thorough investigations by competent authorities of all grave violations against children in the context of armed conflict.”

View original: https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO2311/S00140/end-to-killing-of-children-in-armed-conflict-un-committee-urges.htm

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Sudan: Cholera outbreak (Update 14 November 2023)

Report from OCHA
Sudan: Cholera outbreak Flash Update No. 3, As of 14 Nov 2023 [EN/AR]
Dated Tuesday, 14 November 2023

HIGHLIGHTS

• Sudan declared a cholera outbreak in Gedaref on 26 September. At least 2,525 suspected cases of acute watery diarrhoea/cholera, including 78 associated deaths, have been reported from 27 localities in Gedaref, South Kordofan, Kassala, Khartoum, Aj Jazirah and Sennar states as of 9 November 2023. 

• More than 3.1 million people are estimated to be at risk of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) and cholera in eight states between July and December 2023.

• Humanitarian agencies are scaling up the response to the outbreak, supporting the detection and treatment of cases. Surveillance is ongoing in affected and high-risk areas to identify and address risk factors. 

• The International Coordination Group on Vaccine Provision (ICG) Secretariat (WHO, UNICEF, MSF, IFRC) approved the Federal Ministry of Health’s request for more than 2.9 million doses of oral cholera vaccines (OCV) for reactive vaccination campaigns in nine localities of Gedaref, Al Jazirah and Khartoum states. 

• Vaccines are expected to arrive on 20 November, and vaccination campaigns are expected to start by the end of November.

OCHA coordinates the global emergency response to save lives and protect people in humanitarian crises. We advocate for effective and principled humanitarian action by all, for all.

https://www.unocha.org/sudan

https://reliefweb.int/country/sdn

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/sudan

Download Report

(PDF | 439.61 KB)

View original:  https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-cholera-outbreak-flash-update-no-3-14-november-2023-enar

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Sudan: Supporting treatment of people with cholera

A lab technician checks stool samples at a mini lab at the Cholera Treatment Centre in Gedaref. Supplies for the lab have been provided by the World Health Organization. OCHA/Alimbek Tashtankulov.

WHO and UNICEF officials check the stock of medication to treat cholera at the Cholera Treatment Centre in Gedaref. OCHA/Alimbek Tashtankulov 

Full story: https://www.unocha.org/news/sudan-supporting-treatment-people-cholera

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Sudan Ocha: SAF & RSF clashes in Nyala, South Darfur

Press Release from OCHA - OCHASudan@un.org

Flash Update No. 01 

SUDAN: SAF & RSF clashes in Nyala, South Darfur (21 August 2023)

Monday 21 August 2023 - here is a full copy:

Clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Nyala Town, South Darfur State

HIGHLIGHTS

• Renewed clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Nyala Town since 11 August 2023 are continuing to fuel displacement of the civilian population.

• Up to 50,000 people have fled their homes in Nyala Town due to the fighting.

• At least 60 people have been killed and 250 others injured due to the clashes.

• Staff at the Turkish Hospital have been overwhelmed by the number of injured seeking assistance.

• Trucks loaded with humanitarian supplies are unable to travel to Nyala Town due to the fighting.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

From 11 to 17 August 2023, renewed clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Nyala Town, the state capital of South Darfur State, have displaced thousands of people to other areas, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM). 

Preliminary reports indicate that approximately 10,000 families – about 50,000 people –  fled their homes in the Al-Mazad, Tayba, Seka Hadeed, Al-Jabal, Neil, Karrari, Musa and Texas neighbourhoods of Nyala Town to Hai Al-Jeer, Al-Nahda, As Salam, Derwa and Kangho neighbourhoods in the town; and to the As Salam, Al Serief, Otash and Kalma displacement camps in Beliel and Nyala Shimal localities in South Darfur. 

People have also fled to Tulus, Buram, As Salam and Damso localities in South Darfur, as well as to Shia'ria locality and Ad Du’ayn Town in East Darfur and Al Fasher Town in North Darfur. 

At least 60 people have been killed and 250 others injured during the fighting, according to IOM.
 
Staff at the Turkish Hospital – which is already understaffed – are reportedly struggling to cope with the influx of wounded people, and humanitarian partners on the ground report that medical supplies are running low.
 


Trucks loaded with nutrition, health, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) supplies destined for Nyala Town have remained in Ad Du'ayn Town, the capital of East Darfur, since 14 August due to the fighting, and planned distributions by UNICEF have been postponed. 

There are concerns that continued fighting will cause the already precarious humanitarian situation in the state to deteriorate and heighten the health, nutrition, sanitation and food security needs of the vulnerable. Meanwhile, some areas could become inaccessible if roads become impassable during the ongoing rainy season.


Gathering information from Nyala Town in recent days has been challenging, as communication towers have reportedly been damaged during the fighting, and the electricity and water systems in the town are no longer functioning.
 


Background 


Nyala Town is located in Nyala Janoub locality, South Darfur State. An estimated 401,000 people live in the locality, of whom about 95,000 needed humanitarian assistance even before the conflict, according to the 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO).

Download the Flash Update here:

https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/sudan/flash-update/6pAVMP3Q8Fckx2PGKNkZA1/

View original: 

https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/sudan/flash-update/6pAVMP3Q8Fckx2PGKNkZA1/

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FULL MOVIE: The Good Lie. The Lost Boys of Sudan

NOTE from Sudan Watch Ed: Here is the opener to the film The Good Lie:

"In 1983, a brutal civil war broke out in Sudan between the North and the South over religion and resources, leaving villages destroyed by northern government armies and militia.

By 1987, thousands of orphaned children began to flee on foot across sub-Saharan Africa, walking as many as a thousand miles to Ethiopia and then Kenya. Thirteen years later, 3600 refugees would be relocated to the U.S.A. They were known simply as “The Lost Boys of Sudan.”

This film is inspired by their story."  

Emmanuel Jal plays the role of Paul. As if he and the others hadn't gone through enough already, in the USA the film's writer, Margaret Nagle plus ALCON and IMAGINE heartlessly tried to deprive them of their full earnings for the film. See below 'Copyright and fraud lawsuit'. Thank God, they won!

Source: The Good Lie - Official Trailer [HD] https://youtu.be/O5mrvffezmM

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From Wikipedia the free encyclopaedia:

The Good Lie is a 2014 American drama film written by Margaret Nagle and directed by Philippe Falardeau. 

Cast

• Reese Witherspoon as Carrie Davis
• Ger Duany as Jeremiah
• Arnold Oceng as Mamere
• Emmanuel Jal as Paul
• Kuoth Wiel as Abital
• Femi Oguns as Theo
• Corey Stoll as Jack
• Sarah Baker as Pamela
• Mike Pniewski as Nick
• Thad Luckinbill as Matt

The Good Lie was screened in the Special Presentations section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival^[6] before being released on October 3, 2014. Another major screening was held by the Greenwich International Film Festival on October 22, 2014, for the benefit of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.^[7]

Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures (United States) Summit Entertainment (International). Running time 110 minutes ^[3]. Countries: United States^[4], India^[1].  Language: English. Box Office: £3.2 million[5].

Copyright and fraud lawsuit

In February 2015, the Foundation for Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan, Inc., acting on behalf of 54 Sudanese refugees, filed a lawsuit in Georgia against writer Margaret Nagle, Alcon Entertainment and Imagine Entertainment. The suit claimed that the refugees were joint authors of the stories they had told Nagle in interviews that she had recorded and used to write the story. It also asserted that a joint venture agreement had been breached, with fraud and other issues arising from a promise of compensation from a producer. 

The US District Judge initially granted the defendants' motion to dismiss but allowed the suit to be refiled if the plaintiffs subsequently and successfully registered copyright of the interviews.

The court ultimately found that the refugees' statements supported the finding of copyright infringement and a permanent injunction on the movie. Before the case could be concluded, however, the plaintiffs' claims were settled out of court.^[12][13][14]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Lie

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Source: 

The Good Lie - Full Movie  https://youtu.be/ArLVndbyz_A 

or this better version includes an update at the end and shows all credits, songs etc:

The Good Lie - Full Movie  https://youtu.be/n73RdoCaEw4

Rent, Buy, Multi-format, DVD, Blu-Ray available at Amazon

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Further reading

Movie Review and Q&A - What happened to Theo? 

https://thegoodliemovie.com/

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Sudan: Vaccine hero on front lines uses auto rickshaw

For the past 11 years, immunisation specialist Ibtisam Abdullah Altayeb has been protecting children in Sudan from vaccine-preventable diseases. When armed conflict broke out between Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Response Forces on April 15, her job got a lot more complicated. Read more.

Article at Forbes - www.forbes.com

UNICEF USABRANDVOICE| Paid Program

Written by Proscovia Nakibuuka Mbonye

Published Thursday 29 June 2023, 12:42pm EDT - here is a full copy:

Vaccination Hero On the Front Lines In Sudan

On June 5, 2023, Ibtisam Abdullah Altayeb, a UNICEF-supported immunization specialist at Gezirat Al-Feel Health Center in Sudan, vaccinates a child at a shelter for displaced people. © UNICEF/UN0856032/MOHAMDEEN

For the past 11 years, immunization specialist Ibtisam Abdullah Altayeb has been protecting children in Sudan from vaccine-preventable diseases. When armed conflict broke out between Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Response Forces on April 15, 2023, her job got a lot more complicated.

Since April, the conflict has pushed an estimated 2.2 million people — including 1 million children — out of their homes in search of safety. Some are displaced inside Sudan, others have fled to neighboring countries.

On June 5, 2023, UNICEF-supported vaccinator Ibtisam Abdullah Altayeb jumps into an auto rickshaw with a cold storage bag full of vaccines, en route to a center for families displaced by violence in Sudan.© UNICEF/UN0856025/MOHAMDEEN

Crowded living conditions leave displaced children particularly vulnerable to disease outbreaks

An important part of protecting children from harm is making sure they are up to date on all their vaccinations. But for displaced mothers and caretakers unfamiliar with their new surroundings, finding health facility locations and figuring out which services are offered where can be a high hurdle.

So Ibtisam and her health worker colleagues are innovating to reach displaced children and those in host communities through a coordinated weekly approach: home visits. 

They are determined to reach every child with lifesaving vaccines, despite the challenging times. And nothing will stop them.

Ibtisam Abdullah Altayeb, a vaccinator at Gezirat Al-Feel Health Center in Sudan, arrives at a shelter for displaced people to provide vaccination services for children who have fled violence with their families.© UNICEF/UN0856036/MOHAMDEEN

Home visits ensure every child receives lifesaving vaccines

On a Wednesday morning, Ibtisam arrives at her work station. According to the schedule, this day is designated for immunization outreach targeting displaced children. Her first stop: the Ishgaddi gathering point.

Children and families are arriving daily, taking refuge in places like Madani. Many are living in schools and institutions also known as gathering points, while some are hosted by relatives. The locations have been mapped out by the health workers for easy reach of eligible children, and Ibtisam and her team have created a schedule indicating who goes where and when.

“These days, we have many people arriving, first from Al Damazine and now from Khartoum. We don’t discriminate while offering our services. Every child has the right to vaccination,” she says.

Ibtisam Abdullah Altayeb loads vaccines into a cooler box before heading out to protect more children from vaccine-preventable diseases. © UNICEF/UN0856018/MOHAMDEEN

Some families have their children’s immunization records, others come empty-handed

Vaccines and other supplies are prepped for delivery and Ibtisam is ready to head out to the communities.

“Some families came with health cards containing all the immunization records of their child, which is always helpful," she says. "Others came empty-handed, and some have never been immunized.”

“We don’t say no to anyone. We work together on an immunization plan ... Today I am taking vaccines for measles, meningitis and yellow fever. There are several new mothers in the camp,” she asserts.

Ibtisam Abdullah Altayeb, a vaccinator at Gezirat Al-Feel Health Center, waits for mothers to bring their children for vaccination at a shelter for displaced people. © UNICEF/UN0856026/MOHAMDEEN

UNICEF and the Federal Ministry of Health are working together to maintain an uninterrupted supply chain of vaccines

On Sundays and Tuesdays, Ibtisam runs static vaccination clinics at the health facility; on Mondays she conducts outreach sessions for displaced communities in camps and shelters.

Given the significant increase in the number of arrivals, the health facility occasionally experiences reduced vaccine stocks. But UNICEF and the Federal Ministry of Health are addressing these challenges through maintenance of an uninterrupted supply chain of vaccines in 12 states, including Gezira state, where Madani is located.

Using the quickest means of transport to reach the children with vaccines safely tucked into a cooler box that keeps them safe and effective, Ibtisam heads out to the gathering point with several children under 5.

In no time, the mothers with their children congregate around her.

Ibtisam Abdullah Altayeb shares vaccine information with mothers and caregivers who have brought their children for vaccination at a shelter for displaced people in Sudan.© UNICEF/UN0856033/MOHAMDEEN

Outreach programs address vaccine hesitancy

For several years, Ibtisam has witnessed vaccine refusals resulting from myths shared by mothers and caregivers. Today her sessions begin with health education to demystify these myths and rumors. She shares detailed information on all the vaccines a child needs to stay healthy and when the vaccines should be administered, and ends with the overall importance of vaccination to protect kids from killer childhood illnesses.

“We try to educate the mothers, according to their level of understanding. Sometimes we use posters for visual illustration,” she says.

Mothers are her primary audiences because she believes they are key decision makers on childhood vaccinations in their households. “Sometimes fathers oppose immunization. So, we educate the mothers to convince their husbands on the importance of immunizing their children.”

Original: https://www.forbes.com/sites/unicefusa/2023/06/29/vaccination-hero-on-the-front-lines-in-sudan/

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South Sudan: Unity State launch measles vaccination

Dr. Mai Puok Machar, a healthcare professional at Rubkona County Hospital, stressed the seriousness of measles as an infectious disease.

He outlined the symptoms, which include high fever (which can spike to over 104°F), cough, runny nose (coryza), red watery eyes (conjunctivitis), and a rash that typically appears 3-5 days after onset of symptoms. Read more.

Report at Radio Tamazuj - radiotamazuj.org/en
Published 27 June 2023 - here is a full copy:

Unity State launches measles vaccination for returnees

(BENTIU - 27 JUN 2023) - A measles vaccination campaign has commenced in Rubkona and Koch counties in Unity State, targeting returnees, particularly those who recently fled Sudan. The initiative aims to vaccinate individuals aged five months to 15 years.

The campaign launched on Monday is being supported by organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and other UN agencies.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Duol Biem, Director General of the State Ministry of Health, said,” We have launched a measles vaccination campaign. Health workers are already in the field, and the operation is estimated to take seven days, considering the population that needs to be vaccinated in Rubkona County and Koch County.”

Biem revealed that a few measles cases were reported in both counties last week. He emphasized the importance of vaccinating all children among the returnees. Furthermore, he stated that the vaccination program would continue indefinitely due to the continuous arrival of people on a daily basis. He added, “Our focus is prevention, and this measles vaccination campaign will span one week, concluding on June 31.”

In a recent report by the Unity State health ministry, 26 cases of measles were confirmed in Rubkona, Guit, and Mayom counties.

Nyadak Gattuor, one of the returnees at Rotriak in Rubkona County, confirmed the launch of the vaccination campaign on Saturday. She shared that her children had already been vaccinated and encouraged all parents to take their children to the vaccination centres in Rotriak and Nyaruop Port.

“Two of my children have been vaccinated, and they are now protected against measles,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mai Puok Machar, a healthcare professional at Rubkona County Hospital, stressed the seriousness of measles as an infectious disease in the community.

He outlined the symptoms, which include high fever (which can spike to over 104°F), cough, runny nose (coryza), red watery eyes (conjunctivitis), and a rash that typically appears 3-5 days after the onset of symptoms.

Dr. Mai urged the community to remain vigilant and advised, “I strongly recommend that the community in Unity State ensure their children receive the measles vaccination, as it is the most effective way to prevent this disease.”

According to the World Health Organization, measles is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily spreads through direct contact and airborne transmission. However, thanks to vaccinations, the severity and mortality rates associated with measles have significantly decreased

View original: https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/unity-state-launches-measles-vaccination-for-returnees

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