Calls for greater efforts to protect children in Myanmar

By Admin 20 Nov 2024

DMG Newsroom
20 November 2024, Mrauk-U

On the 35th annual International Children’s Day, Myanmar citizens and international organisations called for greater protection and care for children facing severe hardships during the country’s civil war.

They called for efforts to protect children from junta air and artillery strikes targeting residential areas.

“Today is International Children’s Day, but children in Myanmar are losing their rights to the point that we have to demand their rights,” a female human rights activist from Arakan State remarked. “Today, many children have neither rights nor a future. They cannot think about the future. They are only trying to survive day to day. They have suffered a lot from the grudges between adults.”

Children are experiencing severe psychological and physical harm amid the armed conflicts, she said, stressing the need for parents and guardians to take care of them diligently.

International organisations also stated that children in Myanmar’s conflict zones are losing basic human rights, including access to education and proper healthcare services.

USAID Burma wrote on its Facebook page: “Every child’s perspective matters in building a compassionate and inclusive world. Together, we can create an environment where their voices inspire real change.”

The US organisation called for collaborative efforts to empower young voices and work toward a brighter future for all.

USAID Burma also noted that despite the hardships caused by the conflict, children continue to seek safe places, quality education, and equal opportunities.

The Humanitarian and Development Cooperation Office (HDCO) of the Arakkha Army (AA) reported on November 18 that 132 children under 18 died, and 407 were injured during one year of fighting in Arakan State since November 13, 2023. Many children are suffering from psychological and physical trauma, it added.

Meanwhile, children in displacement camps face acute malnutrition, in addition to a lack of access to education and healthcare.

“Many children are malnourished because they do not get regular meals or supplements,” said a resident helping displaced people in Arakan State’s Thandwe Township.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has warned of potential famine in Arakan State next year, putting approximately 2 million people at risk as trade, businesses and agriculture are hit by armed conflicts.

According to the Institute for Strategy and Policy-Myanmar, more than 6.6 million people have been displaced by conflict since the 2021 coup, with the numbers highest in Shan, Kachin and Arakan states.