Politics Prevail Over Children's Rights Again

Reuters reported that Leila Zerrougui included Israel's army and Hamas in the annual "blacklist" of states and armed groups that violate children’s rights during conflicts. But Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moom overrode Zerrougui's recommendation, and left them off this list in the final published report.

Philippe Bolopion, a representative of Human Rights Watch said: "Ban's disappointing decision to override the advice of his special representative by removing Israel and Hamas is a blow to UN efforts to better protect children in armed conflict. Facts and consistency dictated that both be included on the list, but political pressure seems to have prevailed." You can read more of the story here.

Prioritizing the Health and Well-Being of Mothers and Children in Emergencies

Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan relayed the following statistics in a statement at the side event on health and well-being in emergencies during the 68th World Health Assembly:

"Sixty per cent of maternal, 53 per cent of under-five and 45 per cent of new born mortality takes place in humanitarian and fragile settings. Of the more than 80 million people who were in need of humanitarian assistance, in 2014, over 75 per cent of them were women and children."

Medina Maternal Child Health, Somalia, 2013     Photo: AP/Ben Curtis

The side event focused on three aspects: (i) safety and health of health care workers; (ii) reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH); and (iii) mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian emergencies. You can read more about the health and well-being of mothers and children in emergencies here.