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UNICEF warns of the massive displacement of 37 million children, an unprecedented figure since World War II

More than 400 million children live in conflict zones and some 1 billion face "extreme vulnerability".

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UNICEF warns of the massive displacement of 37 million children, an unprecedented figure since World War II

More than 400 million children live in conflict zones and some 1 billion face "extreme vulnerability"

The UN agency asks for some 10,000 million euros to deal with the situation of children

MADRID, 5 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned this Monday that nearly 37 million boys and girls around the world have been victims of "mass displacement" due to crises and armed conflicts, a figure without precedents since World War II.

During the presentation of its Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) Report for 2023, the UN agency recalled that "more and more children are exposed to historic droughts and floods due to the effects of climate change", to which It has added "the proliferation of conflicts, political instability, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing migratory movements."

In a year that began with 274 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, the situation has worsened exponentially throughout 2022, especially due to the war in Ukraine and food insecurity.

Thus, José María Vera, executive director of UNICEF Spain, has lamented that since 2015 "the number of children who in one way or another need humanitarian aid has tripled" due to the "combination of several crises". "This is called polycrisis and it has been reinforced by COVID-19 and has weakened health systems," he explained before stating that "this has led to a setback in poverty indicators and vaccination processes" world level.

In this sense, it has warned that more than 400 million minors live in conflict zones, while some 1,000 million face "extreme vulnerability", especially in countries mired in armed conflicts. This is an unprecedented situation "that affects children" and makes humanitarian aid an "essential" issue to save their lives.

"This is exacerbated in situations of entrenched conflicts. (...) The climate change crisis is already significantly affecting thousands of children around the world, such as the drought in the Horn of Africa and the floods in Pakistan", Vera pointed out before stressing that "all this combined has led to almost 37 million children being displaced, the highest number in recent decades".

According to Vera, who has highlighted the importance of psychosocial support and access to drinking water, some six million minors face "exploitation and sexual abuse" throughout the world.

"We are aware that what we are doing is not enough, more is needed because it is an unprecedented situation that leads us to have to redouble our efforts in places like Afghanistan or Ukraine, but also in forgotten areas that have the biggest gaps in their financing" , has underlined.

For this reason, it has made an appeal to obtain 10,300 million dollars (9,700 million euros) to be able to provide help to millions of children. "I ask all our partners to reinforce urgent humanitarian action in an appeal focused on saving lives," she said.

Likewise, it has denounced that the situation is especially critical in countries such as Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia, while the report points out that eight million children under the age of five live in fifteen countries submerged in a serious crisis.

Joana Pérez, UNICEF Partnerships and Resource Mobilization advisor for the Middle East and North Africa, highlighted the case of Jordan, which has "one of the highest levels of refugees per capita in the world." "If we make the comparison with Spain, it is as if Spain had received 3.5 million refugees. This is the weight and hospitality of the Jordanian people," she highlighted.

"This region is characterized precisely by that, by refugees and internally displaced persons. The number of refugees in the region has been established, but the number of internally displaced persons continues to rise, with 30 per more. This region has been affected by the conflicts but also by impressive heat waves that affect access to drinking water. Here we see the consequences of climate change," he warned.

In addition, he pointed out that 580 minors have died in the region this year alone, which is a "catastrophe" and "unacceptable" data that should prompt the international community to react. "Yemen is one of the most complex humanitarian crises and is the country with the highest number of internally displaced persons in the world, and the impact of the war is devastating," he recalled.

At this point, he has stressed the importance of "remembering conflicts like the one in Syria", which began twelve years ago. "As you know, the refugees from Syria have mostly left the country and are in countries like Turkey, Iraq, Egypt," she said before adding that the refugees largely face "hateful rhetoric."

However, he has emphasized the "great solidarity seen in Ukraine", an issue that "gives hope". "We are supportive, suffering has no passport", she has settled her.

The case of Ukraine has captured all eyes after the international community has turned to the country since the Russian invasion began in late February. Afshan Khan, UNICEF director for Europe and Central Asia and special coordinator for the response to the Refugee and Migrant Crisis in Europe, has emphasized that it is the "largest humanitarian mobilization in the world".

"We thank those who have given support to UNICEF since February, which has facilitated access to medical treatment and drinking water. (...) 1.3 million children have received educational support and 400,000 households with vulnerable families have received money", he summarized.

However, he has warned that children in Ukraine are about to face "one of the darkest winters, with temperatures already dropping in some of the coldest areas of the country, where blackouts are taking place due to lack made out of fuel".

The data collected by UNICEF does not include the number of children displaced due to poverty or climate change, nor those who have been forced to move due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has caused the most serious humanitarian crisis in the shortest period. of time since the 40s.

The document also states that many minors continue to live in "limbo" because they lack official immigration status or access to education or basic medical treatment and recalls that conflicts account for 80 percent of humanitarian needs. "From Ukraine to Yemen, from Ethiopia to Nigeria, the parties must respect the basic rule of war: protect children," he points out.

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