War, drought, heavy flooding, poor health care and education are plaguing many children in Afghanistan. UNICEF appeals for more aid to help women, children as the country has one of the highest child and maternal mortality rates in the world, with 1,600 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, and one in four children die before their fifth birthday, according to the UN. “Seven percent [of children] suffer from acute malnutrition and 54 percent of them are chronically malnourished,” UNICEF said. More than half of primary school age Afghan children, about two million, are deprived of schooling, UNICEF says.
Ethiopia, female circumcision on the decline in the southern region, however NGOs say it could decrease even further if laws and penalties where enforced. Under Ethiopian Penal Code, FGM carries a punishment of imprisonment of no less than three months, or a fine. According to official statistics, FGM has decreased from 80% in 2000 to 74% in 2005.
Election campaign in Sierra Leone focuses on youth With unemployment well over 50%, the countries youth find themselves conflicted with an abundance of time and few options, which could lead to problems as many are former child soldiers. While few observers believe civil war will break out again, the UN Secretary General's report in May said, high rates of unemployment is a major issue which could threaten the country's already fragile situation. Sierra Leone's Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended that “youth questions be viewed as a national emergency.” ‘Yet five years after war's end and four years after the creation of government “youth policy,” many rights activists say the issue is largely still ignored, to the country's peril.’
Nigeria, a land of guns, gangs, drugs feed growing delta violence has been growing recently, as has the gun culture among many youth. “Most of those carrying weapons are youths aged 16-25," and a study in 2004 commissioned by Royal Dutch Shell, the biggest oil multinational in Nigeria, estimated 1,000 died each year, mostly youth, in violence the between rival militia groups. See the earlier post on kidnappings in Nigeria. "What we are witnessing are some of the worst manifestations of a social crisis that has been festering in the delta and the country as a whole in the past three decades," said Pius Waritimi, a sculptor and art teacher who runs a government-backed skills training scheme for youth in Port Harcourt.
SYRIA: UNHCR urges more Iraqi refugees to attend schools UNHCR launched a "Back to School' campaign aimed at getting more Iraqi children in Syria into local schools. Currently there are only 35,000 out of an estimated 250,000 school-aged Iraqi children enrolled in Syrian schools, despite the government's offer of free education for all Iraqi children. Many Iraqi refugees believe education for their children will cost money, or jeopardize their residency in Syria. “It is not possible to find a school,” said Mohammed Taha, There is no place in the schools in Syria and they are too expensive.” UNICEF, UNHCR and the Syrian Ministry of Education launched the media campaign to raise awareness of the free schooling available to Iraqi refugees, as well as to strengthen the facilities on offer. Education programs are essential as there are an estimated 1.5 million Iraqis already in Syria and another 30,000 arriving each month.
