It is estimated that every day another 50 to 100 Malians cross the border joining more than 61,600 refugees already here seeking refuge from conflict, in a region stressed by an extraordinarily hard “lean season.” The refugee population is primarily children, 57% (32,385) are under 17 years old.
The UN has estimated that the figure of refugees fleeing conflict in Mali over the border will increase to 100,000 in the coming months.
Refugees have been arriving with their livestock, including 100,000 cattle to areas hard hit by drought and short of fodder and food supplies.
“As quickly as refugee camps can be constructed, their population quickly swells beyond capacity,” said Mark Wentling, Plan Country Director in Burkina Faso. “Humanitarian actors are rushing to meet the huge needs faced by the communities, but the desperately needed funding to implement programmes is not materialising.”
Children are especially vulnerable in these situations to exploitation, violence, illness and death. Plan is working to provide clean water access through new bore holes, building latrines for refugees, and to design and implement programmes that ensure child protection and access to education.
“The humanitarian community here, including Plan, is coordinating to make sure our limited resources reach as far as possible,” continued Wentling. “Without immediate assistance, silently over the coming months, this disaster across the Sahel will claim more lives than the Asian tsunami or the earthquake in Haiti.”
On a visit today to camps United Nations Humanitarian Chief Baroness Valerie Amos said : “There was a food security problem here in Burkina Faso before there was a refugee crisis and that's why for us it’s so important that were helping the local community as well as supporting the refugee situation.
“I think we learnt a lot of lessons from (the Horn of Africa crisis). The response has been much faster. We have raised money much earlier because we knew from the Horn of Africa crisis that we got to it too late.”
But she said more funds were needed over the coming months to stop the food crisis from escalating.
Note to editors:
For media inquiries:
In Burkina Faso:
Jane Labous
Press Officer
jane.labous@plan-international.org
+44 (0 )7540 948 494
In Senegal:
Florence Cisse
Media Relations (Fr/Eng)
florence.cisse@plan-international.org
+221 33 869 74 39/+221 77 740 36 00 46 97
Almost 200,000 Malian refugees have now sought shelter over the borders, some with herd animals, causing additional pressure on already poor communities’ food supplies, pastures and infrastructure.
The organisation is distributing free food to targeted groups in villages and schools, filling up 25 cereal banks and offering nutritional advice to communities. It is also providing food support, cereal grains, vegetables, mosquito nets and blankets to villagers and refugees.
More than 3,000 refugees had arrived in April in the village of Goudel, 5 kilometres from the Malian border and a place normally inhabited by 850 people. Village chief Ashek Hammed says the increase in numbers means the food shortage is desperate – but local tradition means all newcomers will be fed.
“If you have a stranger who stays with you, you have to share your meals with him,” explains Hammed. “Consequently there is pressure because the food shortage is more pronounced. I’m very worried about the future. Not because of the actual situation, but because every day, people keep on coming.”
Every day, refugees who have walked for 10 to 15 days arrive in Goudel. One hundred percent of the children are malnourished, and many have illnesses such as whooping cough. Refugee Azahara Naziou came across the Malian border in April and is now living in a tent with 12 members of her family.
“I left my village because I was frightened. Bandits came with guns and stole many of our things, so we decided to run away. I came on foot with my children. Since we came here, we have been supported with food. So I have been eating millet, beans and rice. We have been assisted with food, with blankets, with containers to carry water and with tents.”
Plan has furnished the school with extra blackboards, seating mats and teaching guides to accommodate greater numbers. Teacher Adouramane Oumarou says one entire class is made up of refugee children, who have never been to school before.
“Before the arrival of the refugees, we had 134 pupils; now we have taken in 117 refugee children. We wish that the school continues to do well, above all with the support of our partner Plan Niger.”
Note to editors:
Media enquiries:
For media enquiries, high res images, video, audio, case studies and interviews with experts on the Sahel, contact:
Jane Labous, press officer for East and West Africa regions, Plan International Headquarters (UK), 07540 048494, 01483 733330
]]>The crisis in Mali reaches far further than the bullets. Villages a few miles from the border are crowded with refugees. Children are being enlisted to help their families collect wood and animal dung. For some, it is the only way to survive as numbers swell and the food crisis worsens.
In Darbani, a village north of capital Niamey, women and children such as Boussoura Moumouni, 13, and her grandmother Bibata Soumana head into the bush every morning to collect animal droppings.
Boussoura can look forward to a meal of animal millet when she gets back. She will make CFA250 (approximately 40 pence) for one bag of droppings, enough to buy a small amount of food. Meanwhile, the village chief himself is feeding his family on one bowl of porridge a day.
He says: “Most of the children have dropped out of school because they have to follow their families to the nearby countries, or they have to follow their families to go and get their wood or animal faeces.
“Every morning you’ll find about 25 to 50 women going to the bush just to get animal dung. Sometimes they go with their children, because they want to have as many bags full of dung as possible. We have done everything to get them to leave their children behind but we have not been successful. In these vulnerable families the children have dropped out and followed their mothers every morning.”
More than 3,000 refugees have arrived in the village of Goudel, 5 kilometres from the Malian border and a place normally inhabited by 850 people. Village chief Ashek Hammed says the increase in numbers means the food shortage is desperate – but local tradition means all newcomers will be fed.
“If you have a stranger who stays with you, you have to share your meals with him,” explains Hammed. “Consequently there is pressure because the food shortage is more pronounced. I’m very worried about the future. Not because of the actual situation, but because every day, people keep on coming.”
Every day, refugees who have walked for 10 to 15 days arrive in Goudel. 100% of the children are malnourished, and many have illnesses such as whooping cough. Refugee Azahara Naziou came across the Malian border in April and is now living in a tent with 12 members of her family.
“I left my village because I was frightened. Bandits came with guns and stole many of our things, so we decided to run away. I came on foot with my children. Since we came here, we have been supported with food. So I have been eating millet, beans and rice. We have been assisted with food, with blankets, with containers to carry water and with tents.”
Children’s rights organisation Plan International has an emergency food response to refugees and villagers, providing food support, cereal grains, vegetables, mosquito nets and blankets.
Plan has also furnished the school with extra blackboards, seating mats and teaching guides to accommodate greater numbers. Teacher Adouramane Oumarou says one entire class is made up of refugee children, who have never been to school before.
“Before the arrival of the refugees, we had 134 pupils; now we have taken in 117 refugee children. It’s a situation that has created a lot of enthusiasm amongst the pupils. We wish that the school continues in good conditions, above all with the support of our partner Plan Niger.”
In the last week, Plan has been asked by the UN to manage refugee camps in 2 locations in Niger. Plan expects to learn of a major grant from AusAid soon, and the response operations are moving ahead.
The organisation is distributing free food to targeted groups in these villages and in schools, filling up 25 cereal banks and offering nutritional advice to communities.
Note to editors:
Media enquiries:
For media enquiries, high res images, video, audio, case studies and interviews, contact: Jane Labous, press officer for East and West Africa regions, Plan International Headquarters (UK) Email: jane.labous@plan-international.org, 07540 048494, 01483 733330
An Egyptian MP has confirmed the drafting of a new law to lower the permitted age for girls to marry to just 14 from the current age 18.
Egypt’s National Council of Women (NCW) has already appealed to parliament to stop the legislation, saying it rids women of their basic educational and employment rights.
Plan International, which works to promote child rights across Africa, believes the law proposals are a backward step for Egypt – and a violation of girls’ human rights.
Plan Egypt was actively involved in the process of amending the Child Law in 2008, when the legal marriage age was increased to 18.
But analysts have now questioned the future for women’s rights in Egypt under a new parliament still dominated by men.
Ayman Zadek, programme area manager for Plan in Assiut, Egypt, said: “Plan Egypt strongly promotes child rights and according to the Child Rights Convention, any person under 18 is considered a child. Plan Egypt was actively involved in the process of amending the country’s Child Law in 2008, when the legal marriage age was increased to 18.
“Despite the improvements on the law, early marriage is still a widespread social phenomenon in Egypt. Plan Egypt, through its programmes and involvement in the Child Protection Network, continues to advocate against this issue."
Plan Egypt considers early marriage as a violation of human rights. It is a harmful traditional practice and is a form of sexual violence against children, particularly young girls.
Zadek says early marriage makes girls vulnerable to domestic violence, premature pregnancy and poverty – as well as reducing their chance to complete their education.
Zadek continues: “Exposing young girls to marriage has a very negative impact on their physical and psychological health.
“It reduces their chances to complete an education and negatively impacts their ability to participate at the economic and social levels.
“Girls who marry early are also more likely to experience premature pregnancies, which negatively impacts their health and the welfare of their children. Early marriage increases the risk of domestic violence, child labour and tends to reproduce the cycle of poverty. Plan Egypt will continue to advocate for the enforcement of the current child law - where marriage is not allowed for any child under 18 years old.”
Plan’s global Because I am a Girl campaign highlights and works for girls’ rights globally. Ending child marriage, around the world, is a main priority of the campaign that launches across our 70 offices on October 11th 2012.
Note to editors:Media enquiries:
For media enquiries, high res images and interviews, contact:
Jane Labous, press officer for East and West Africa regions,
Plan International Headquarters (UK)
Email: jane.labous@plan-international.org, +44 (0) 1483 733 330
25 April 2012: In Africa, malaria deaths have been cut by one third within the last decade but globally a child still dies every minute. According to child rights organisation Plan International, it’s critical to continue to invest in prevention and control measures across the continent to ensure that populations have access to cost-effective and life-saving interventions.
Speaking on World Malaria Day, 25 April, Plan West Africa’s Regional Director Adama Coulibaly said: “Over 90% of all deaths from malaria are in Africa. Just by scaling up efforts to prevent the disease, including universal coverage of mosquito nets, we will save the lives of an estimated 3 million African children by 2015.”
A preventable disease, malaria can be cured with prompt diagnosis and correct drug treatment but there is a double burden of increased drug resistance and limited access to health care in many of the most malaria-prone areas. Young children are the most vulnerable because they have not built up any immunity to the disease, and without immunity the infections tend to be more severe and life-threatening.
The most severe form of malaria - cerebral malaria - will cause convulsions, coma and death in 93% of children affected. The 7% who survive are left with permanent neurological problems such as epilepsy, blindness, weakness, speech problems and significant cognitive issues.
The impact of malaria on economic growth and development is immense, costing families businesses and nations dearly. Investing in malaria control has seen a strong return on investment with significantly reduced sickness and absenteeism.
In partnership with the Global Fund in many parts of West Africa, Plan is working in countries like Togo with local partners and child and youth groups to deliver long-lasting insecticide nets and raise awareness of malaria prevention and treatment.
In Liberia, Plan is working to scale up prompt and effective treatment with Artemisinin-based Combine Therapy (ACTs) to at least 80% of all those with malaria, and to improve knowledge and behaviour on prevention and treatment of the condition, especially among pregnant women.
Over 5 million bed nets have also been distributed to communities across Cameroon. It’s estimated that when 80% of people sleep under a net, the entire community is protected and Plan aims to reach almost half of the country’s population in total this year.
In Burkina Faso, Plan has supported the distribution of 7.6 million long-lasting, insecticide-impregnated bed nets across the country, a ratio of one net for every 2 people.
Mr Coulibaly concluded: “Considerable progress has been made in the fight against malaria but there’s still much work to do to eradicate this disease in West African countries in order to give children, their families and their communities a fair chance at life.”
Note to editors:
Media enquiries:
For media enquiries, high res images and interviews, contact:
Florence Cisse,
Media Relations (Fr/Eng)
Florence.cisse@plan-international.org
+221 33 869 74 39/+221 77 740 36 00
Skype: madamelcisse
Ann Noon
Regional Communications Manager
ann.noon@plan-international.org
+221 33 869 74 44/+221 77 333 46 97
Skype: ann.noon.plan
* Plan is not responsible for the content on external websites
]]>An estimated 500,000 South Sudanese are still remaining in Sudan a few days before the April 8 deadline for them to regularise their stay in the north as registered foreigners or leave.
The closing date marks the end of grace period for unrestricted cross-border migration following South Sudan’s independence last July. The expected mass movement of people has been labeled “a logistical nightmare” by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Plan’s country director in South Sudan, Fikru Abebe said: “A mass movement of people on the scale of hundreds of thousands could create a serious humanitarian crisis, especially given that South Sudan is already dealing with tribal violence, border conflicts and a food crisis in some areas.”
Abebe said although the Republic of South Sudan government was doing all it could to assist the returnees; but the shortage of funds, mobility and sporadic border conflicts were hampering the repatriation and the reintegration process.
Plan is making provisions for 33,000 returnees in Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei and Lakes States where the organisation is currently carrying out aid response.
Plan aims to give returnees livelihoods support to ensure they are reintegrated into their communities. Activities include establishing and running child-friendly spaces, providing temporary learning spaces and schools, school meals, education kits and support to teachers to ensure that children do not lose out on schooling. Provision of safe drinking water and sanitation and non-food items is also part of the response.
Abebe said among the most vulnerable returnees are children who were separated from their families, disabled individuals, female headed households, pregnant and new mothers, older people without family support and chronically ill persons.
Ensuring security en-route for those making their way south by air, road, rail and boat is also a challenge and priority.
Many southerners in the north fled the two decade long civil war and have lived in Sudan since then. Most of them lost their Sudanese citizenship after secession on 9 July 2011 when the South Sudan became an independent state.
Editor's notes:
The country director for Plan in South Sudan is available for interviews. For more information and arrangement for media interviews please contact:
Media contacts:
Atem Dut
Communication Officer
Plan International in South Sudan
Email: Atem.Dut@plan-international.org
Mobile: +211 957165104
Lillian Omariba
Regional Media Specialist
Region of Eastern and Southern Africa
Email: Lillian.Omariba@plan-international.org
Mobile: +254 (0) 715 552 476
For the first time in its history the United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday adopted a resolution entirely dedicated to the issue of birth registration and legal identity for all without any discrimination.
Plan was specifically asked by sponsoring states Mexico and Turkey to provide technical expertise in the drafting of the resolution. The organisation provided key input in ensuring strong language of the resolution which calls upon all states to ensure birth registration and the right of everyone to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
“The Human Rights Council resolution is a new milestone in global efforts to realise everyone’s human right to birth registration and legal identity. Without any documentation, millions remain invisible to authorities and therefore at risk of being denied basic rights such as right to education, healthcare, employment and in cases even nationality,” said Gorel Bogarde, Plan’s Director of Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns.
The resolution was adopted unanimously without requiring a vote indicating a wider acceptance of the need for birth registration among member states. Each year about 51 million children go unregistered, mostly in developing countries.
“Children in particular are more vulnerable to trafficking, forced marriage, abuse and exploitation if they are not registered. Right to birth registration is already enshrined in several international treaties and the resolution gives renewed force to remind states of their obligation to make birth registration a reality for each and every child,” said Anne-Sophie Lois, Plan’s UN representative in Geneva.
Plan is globally leading the advocacy efforts for universal birth registration as part of its Count Every Child campaign. Since 2005 the organisation has facilitated registration of more than 40 million people - mostly children, in 32 countries. The organisation’s advocacy work has led to improved laws in 10 countries making 153 million children eligible for free birth certificates.
Plan has also entered into a unique global partnership with the Office of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which will see the 2 agencies work globally, regionally and at country level to secure birth registration for all children, especially those at risk of statelessness.
According to UNHCR there are about 12 million stateless people globally, of which about 6 million are believed to be children. To be stateless is to be without nationality or citizenship. Stateless people are forced to live in a limbo and their rights are often violated due to their status. Children born to parents with no legal status and identity usually become stateless from the moment they are born.
“Stateless children are among the most vulnerable and marginalised groups. The initiative with UNHCR recognises Plan’s established expertise in the area of birth registration and gives both agencies an opportunity of ensuring protection for all children,” said Ms Bogarde.
Plan and UNHCR will conduct coordinated advocacy at all levels and exchange information on developments on birth registration. The efforts will consider specific needs and concerns of asylum-seeking, refugee, internally displaced and stateless children, as well as children at risk of becoming stateless.
The 2 agencies will jointly identify priority countries and seek to address possible gaps to ensure that every child is registered at birth. They will also work closely with UNICEF and UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
Editor’s notes:
Plan’s UN representative, Anne-Sophie Lois, is available for media interviews.
Media contact:
Davinder Kumar
Press Officer, Plan International Headquarters, UK
Email: davinder.kumar@plan-international.org
Mobile: +44 (0) 7739326164
The two day meeting, entitled ‘Bridging the Gulf to Girls' Education’, saw over 50 participants from around the Gulf region and beyond, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, come to share and discuss pertinent issues around girls’ education in the region, as well as share best practices and learn how to strengthen work in this field.
The event signalled a strengthening of the partnership between Plan, one of the oldest and most respected international child rights and development organisations in the world, and Dubai Cares – a philanthropic organisation working to improve children's access to quality primary education. A broader objective of the event was to place girl’s education more firmly on top of the donor agendas in the region.
Plan’s Canada office has been making significant inroads into the gulf region through several programmatic initiatives, however this is the first time the two organisations have worked together on a joint policy and advocacy event. Dubai Cares Country Programme Officer Asma Malik explained, “together [with Plan] we want to influence policy to help promote education for girls”.
While there have been some advances for women in girls in the Middle East region, girls still face considerable challenges to accessing quality education as a result of continued gender inequality. Barriers include early and enforced marriage, son preference, and a lack of adequate facilities for girls and gender sensitive teachers and curricula. However often it is simply a case of gender discriminatory attitudes that prevent girls from completing a quality basic education; many families still do not see any value in educating girls and believe when resources a scarce it is better to send boys to school.
The roundtable featured case studies of programmes from around the region, including two Plan initiatives in Egypt and Sudan respectively, and also a gulf state regional launch of the 2011 Because I am a Girl ‘State of the World’s Girls’ report – So What about Boys?
This report, the fifth in an annual series, argues that men and boys not only have a valuable role to play in the empowerment of girls and women but that it will be good for them too. Fathers are particularly key to ensuring girls go to school, as they are in most cases the primary decision maker in the household. During the workshop, participants repeatedly highlighted the success in the region in overcoming barriers to girls schooling by engaging religious elders and male community leaders to speak out against gender inequality.
Director of the Global Because I am a Girl campaign, Deepali Sood chaired the report launch panel, and later remarked, "to achieve gender equality, the attitudes and behaviour of men and boys, often seen as part of the problem, need to become part of the solution". The report launch panel discussion featured a young woman from Plan Egypt’s literacy programme ‘REFLECT’ who shared her experiences, challenges and desires as a girl growing up in Egypt.
Plan International’s Because I am a Girl campaign aims to increase the proportion of girls around the world that complete a quality primary and lower secondary education in safe and supportive community environments. Empowering girls to develop the assets required for a quality education, while eliminating the barriers that continue to stand in their way will help them to live safer, healthier and more prosperous lives.
More information:
Founded 75 years ago, Plan is one of the oldest and largest children's development organisations in the world. We work in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas to promote child rights and lift millions of children out of poverty. Plan is independent, with no religious, political or governmental affiliations.
Because I am a Girl
Because I am a Girl is Plan's campaign to fight gender inequality, promote girl's rights and lift millions of girls out of poverty. Across the world, girls face the double discrimination of their gender and age, leaving them suffering at the bottom of the social ladder. Our campaign recognises that empowering and educating girls not only brings disproportionate benefits to her family but also to her community and nation at large.As part of Plan’s Because I am a Girl campaign, Plan and the girl delegates at the last CSW successfully led the call for the 1st ever “International Day of the Girl Child”, which was adopted by the UN in December last year.
Niamey (Niger), 21 March, 2012 – According to a recent field study conducted in communities in western and eastern Niger, between 70 and 90% of people estimate their food stocks will run out before the next harvest, creating an imminent ‘hunger gap’.
A full 100% of families surveyed say they have already reduced the amount of food consumed each day because they do not have enough to eat.
The study was conducted by the Assessment Capacities Project (ACAPS) and the Emergency Capacity Building Project (a coalition including CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Plan International, Save the Children and World Vision), with input from the World Food Programme and the Government of Niger.
It is the latest in mounting evidence pointing to a potentially massive humanitarian disaster in the Sahel if the world does not respond quickly with urgently-needed assistance to those already in crisis, and mitigation activities to prevent more families from going hungry.
“In the villages we see more and more mothers not being able to feed their children more than once a day. We can’t wait any longer. We can’t wait until it becomes one meal every second day, and those children are starving, and suffer crippling, life-long effects from malnutrition,” said Johannes Schoors, Country Director of CARE Niger. “Many families haven’t recovered from the 2005 and 2010 crises. They need help now.”
Rheal Drisdelle, Plan’s Country Director in Niger said: “Young children are at greatest risk of acute malnutrition, which can lead to developmental delays, stunt growth and make them more vulnerable to infections and disease. Failure to act now will have devastating consequences for a whole generation of children in West Africa.”
While in a typical year the hungry season, when people usually start cutting back on meals, does not usually start until May or June, the surveyed communities in Diffa and Tillabéri said that this year it has already started, and that the situation is already critical and will get worse.
Key findings of the assessment include:
Instability in neighbouring countries is making things worse, communities said. Remittances have plummeted since people cannot move freely for work, a typical coping strategy, and refugees from conflict in Mali have crossed into Niger, putting additional strain on families already facing food shortages.
"People are arriving exhausted, hungry and in need of the very basics. But Niger is struggling to cope with the influx of refugees and the extra strain is pushing families to the brink of survival," said Chris Palusky, World Vision's Food Crisis Response Manager for Mali and Niger.
"Poor villages have been overwhelmed with people, some expanding 7-fold in just a few months, with refugees forced to live in overcrowded homes and makeshift shacks. Time is running out to support host families before they themselves reach breaking point. A large and speedy response will not only save lives but strengthen communities who are already bearing the brunt of this disaster."
Some 13 million people are at risk from a food crisis in the Sahel region of West and Central Africa, including one million children at risk of severe malnutrition. Erratic rains and an attack of pests and locusts destroyed entire harvests in 2011, leaving families with nothing to eat through this year’s hungry season. High food and fodder prices are leaving people with few options. In Niger alone, more than 6 million people are at risk of hunger; nearly 2 million of those are in critical need of food and assistance now.
“People in Niger are facing a multifold crisis. This year, we’re witnessing a lethal cocktail which is putting enormous strain on households across the country. Following several crisis since 2005, their coping mechanisms have reached their limit and already pushed thousands over the edge,” said Samuel Braimah, Country Director of Oxfam in Niger. “The worst can be avoided and thousands of lives will be saved if we act now. It's that simple.”
Based on the results of the assessment, the 7 agencies recommend the following:
The full report can be downloaded at www.acaps.org*
* Plan is not responsible for the content on external websites
]]>The charity which works with more than 56 million children in 50 countries, will mark this milestone in a number of ways. One of these will be a bid for the world’s biggest children’s birthday party when Plan offices and supporters all over the world come together physically and virtually to celebrate the birthday and the organisation’s long term commitment to children.
Worldwide events range from a concert in Haiti, girls football match in Bangladesh, planting of 75,000 trees in Zimbabwe, sports day in Sudan, Lion King theatre party in Hamburg to VIP visits by the likes of the Pakistan Prime Minister.
At the heart of this celebration is the Count Every Child campaign, a vital programme striving to provide children all over the world with birth certificates.
Nigel Chapman, CEO, Plan International said: “We take it for granted that every child celebrates their birthday – just as we, as an organisation, are celebrating our 75th birthday. Yet millions of children around the world cannot mark it because their births are not registered. These children don’t know how old they are because often they don’t have a birth certificate.
“Some 51 million children every year are denied the basic right of a birth certificate, leaving them at risk of being denied schooling, healthcare and housing, and making them more likely to be exposed to exploitation and abuse. Without this vital piece of documentation, children have no formal identity, don’t officially exist and are denied basic rights. We have to put a stop to this.”
To show support, members of the public are able to send a specially designed birthday card to a friend through a free online e-card service. There are dozens of cards available, all of which have been designed by children worldwide. Importantly, those that send cards will be asked to sign up to a petition to be presented to the United Nations urging governments and authorities to implement universal birth registration.
Whilst children all over the world need a birth certificate, one of the most marginalised groups without documentation is girls. Girls in the developing world are more likely to suffer from malnutrition, be forced into an early marriage, be subject to violence or intimidation, be trafficked, sold or coerced into the sex trade, or become infected with HIV. Access to a birth certificate would help protect girls.
In this important year for Plan the Because I am Girl campaign will be launched in New York on October 11th on the International Day of the Girl Child. Fighting for birth registration will be an important part of this global awareness campaign for gender equality.
Follow all the latest news at #Plan75 and on Facebook.
Support Plan International’s work by visiting plan-international.org
Editor’s notes:
History of Plan International
The global organisation, which works with more than 56 million children in 50 developing countries, has been promoting child rights and lifting millions of children out of poverty since it was founded in 1937. Plan was founded by British journalist John Langdon-Davies and refugee worker Eric Muggeridge to care for children affected by the Spanish Civil War.
Today, the charity helps improve the lives of children all over the world across key child poverty issues of education, gender, health, water and sanitation, protection, economic security emergencies and sexual health, including HIV.
]]>Hundreds of people, including women and children, are feared to have been killed and injured in the latest inter-tribal clashes in the Jonglei district.
Children’s organisation Plan International, which has been carrying out emergency work in Jonglei for the last few months, says it is concerned over further escalation of violence and more revenge attacks.
“We need to stop this spiral of violence which is pulling many people into it. These brutal attacks are causing massive displacement of people and great anxiety and suffering,” said acting director of Plan in Sudan, Dominic Mutabazi.
“We are particularly concerned about the impact upon children who are witnessing and being caught up in this conflict. Urgent mediation and negotiations are needed to tackle this conflict and it will mean additional humanitarian assistance.”
A large number of children have been abducted during these raids, which have pitted the Lou Nuer tribe against the Murle ethnic group. Both sides steal each other’s vital cattle in the raids, prompting increasingly brutal retaliations. The proliferation of automatic weapons in the area in recent years has made the disputes more deadly.
There has been a spike in attacks since December 2011 and recently entire villages and schools were burned to the ground. Several thousand people are believed to have been killed since the latest conflicts began and an estimated 50,000 people displaced.
Through partnership with WFP and Plan International Australia, Plan has an on-going programme in Pibor and Jonglei state where it is helping some 50,000 affected and displaced people and also around 4,500 children in school feeding programmes.
Mr Mutabazi said that long-term solutions and offering alternatives for the young men involved in the attacks are vital for a peaceful future.
Providing relief in Jonglei presents a unique problem to humanitarian agencies. Much of the state is flat and swampy land, and the road network is poor or non-existent. Large areas become completely unreachable every year when the rains start in April.
For more information please contact;
At Plan HQ
Stuart.coles@plan-international.org
+44 (0) 7500 066 891
In South Sudan:
Atem.Dut@plan-international.org
Communication Officer, Plan South Sudan +211 957165104
A study commissioned by Plan in 50 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean shows that even where legal provisions exist, mothers routinely suffer multiple barriers to birth registration due to local attitudes and discriminatory cultural practices.
“Birth registration is every child’s basic right. It is not enough to have signed up to international conventions or introduced legislation affording women rights if governments don’t take the necessary measures to address discrimination in practice,” said Gorel Bogarde Plan’s Director of Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns.
“States must do everything in their power to remove the barriers women face in registering their children, including the specific hurdles faced by those women who are the most marginalised.”
The study, conducted by Plan as part of its global campaign on birth registration - Count Every Child - found that patriarchal attitudes make it difficult, even impossible, for women to register their child without the consent of their husband or other senior members of the family.
In several countries, including Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Sudan, the father has the primary responsibility for registering a child. It is only in his absence that the mother would do so. In Burkina Faso, although the law states that anyone can register a child’s birth, traditional practices allow only the male head of the family to register.
“It is shocking to see from Plan’s report that despite giving birth, mothers were prevented from registering their babies in so many countries. I have 2 daughters and a son and I want them to be equally able to register their children. Together with Plan I call on the governments to change their laws and practices and help mothers register every child,” said Anil Kapoor, internationally acclaimed actor and active supporter of Plan’s Count Every Child campaign.
Single mothers face even greater difficulties in registering births due to shame and stigma attached to their status in their countries. In Sierra Leone, a child born out of wedlock cannot be registered if it is not acknowledged by the father.
The study found that due to societal prejudice unmarried mothers may not register births in countries like Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Cameroon, China, Ecuador, Egypt, Guinea Bissau, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In countries like Bangladesh the dishonour and threat of violence associated with children born out of wedlock can be so strong that mothers sometimes see no option but to abandon the child.
In Sudan, adultery is still a capital offence. Unless an unmarried pregnant woman can prove she was raped, she can be arrested, which implies that unmarried mothers are unlikely to register the birth of their child. In Cameroon, an unmarried woman needs 2 witnesses to testify to the paternity of her child for a birth certificate to be issued.
“Birth registration is the first legal acknowledgement of a child’s existence. Without it, they are invisible to the authorities and may be denied other rights, including right to health care and education. They are also more vulnerable to being trafficked or forced into hazardous labour or underage marriage,” said Ms Bogarde.
Editor’s notes:
Media contact:
Davinder Kumar
Press Officer, Plan International Headquarters (UK)
Mobile: +44 (0) 7739 326164
E-mail: davinder.kumar@plan-international.org
In its third progress report on the Learn Without Fear campaign, Plan underlines how violence in schools remains widespread – with 79 countries with laws still allowing teachers to physically punish children. Violence in schools affects millions of children, physically and psychologically – while communities and economies suffer financially from the subsequent non-attendance, dropping out and poor attainment.
Despite these major challenges, Plan says that progress can and has been made. Achievements worldwide so far include:
Feedback from children, teachers, parents and officials reveal how Plan’s campaign work has positively affected matters for all involved.
One teacher at Michiru primary school in Malawi told the report’s authors: “I noticed a big difference in my pupils’ last-term results, their performance was very impressive. They felt more confident and secure about their education and they are conversant with their rights and responsibilities.”
More than 1.1 million children have been directly involved in the campaign so far, through various activities.
Amalia, 15, saw benefits from being on a committee at her school in El Salvador and getting help with producing materials. “The [school] manual has been a great help to show that our opinion matters and we are an important part of our school.”
Plan says that being part of a global campaign sparked interest at national level. But it warned that future success would require focused work at local and district levels to enforce national laws and to raise awareness.
Plan International CEO Nigel Chapman said: “The progress is very encouraging but school violence is still a huge global issue preventing many children from attending and completing their schooling. We must accelerate our efforts to ensure that governments and authorities are doing their best to make schools safe and productive environments.”
Read the full report here
http://plan-international.org/learnwithoutfear/progress
Notes:
Plan will launch the report with the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, Marta Santos Pais at a side event on March 6th at the Human Rights Council session.
Press enquiries:
Stuart Coles
Media Manager
Plan International
+44 (0) 7500 066 891
stuart.coles@plan-international.org
In a robust response, Japan is rolling out the world’s costliest disaster recovery plan in history and is rapidly reconstructing and rebuilding in the areas ravaged by 2011 tsunami.
Plan is urging the Japanese government to more vigorously integrate emotional care support for survivors in its recovery plan. The organisation is supported by eminent psychologists and mental health professionals in its assessment that psychosocial care assistance is vital to prevent affected people from advancing into stages where they will need specialist psychological care.
“In addition to reconstruction, the success of Japan’s great recovery effort also rests on the emotional well-being of tsunami survivors. A significant population has been affected by the tsunami and there is still an overwhelming need of emotional support for the survivors,” said Gabriel Kazuo Tsurumi, Executive Managing and National Director of Plan Japan.
The earthquake and tsunami which hit the north-east region of Japan on March 11 left nearly 16,000 people dead, over 3,000 missing and more than 6,000 injured. Over 340,000 people are still living in temporary accommodation.
Given the unprecedented scale of the disaster, Plan, for the first time, launched an emergency response in Japan which otherwise raises funds and implements programmes in developing countries. The emotional needs of children and communities and their ability to cope with emotional effects of the disaster have been at the centre of Plan’s targeted response in Miyagi prefecture which suffered the worst damage and highest casualties.
One year on, tsunami survivors are still experiencing the emotional impact of the disaster. Psychologists and staff working with Plan Japan have come across of cases of children and adults who are going through acute distress coming to terms with their changed circumstances.
“There are children who are scared to flush the toilet as the sound of running water reminds them of the tsunami. Teachers have also reported cases of children playing tsunami games, showing anxiety or losing interest in studies,” said Mie Kashiwade who is leading Plan Japan’s emergency aid response unit in Sendai.
“Among adults, issues like depression and addiction to gambling and alcohol have come to light. There are also concerns about adults, especially elderly people living in temporary accommodation, who are experiencing loneliness and isolation.”
Plan Japan through its aid response so far has reached 25,000 affected people, mostly children. The organisation has worked very closely with schools, teachers and communities making them aware how they can address children’s emotional needs and their own.
“Plan’s experience in dealing with natural disasters such as the 2004 Asian tsunami and more recently the Haiti earthquake in 2010, has been instrumental in steering the organisation’s response in Japan which fills in a particular gap in wider recovery efforts,” said Mr Tsurumi.
Editor’s notes:
Mina Funakoshi
Senior Communication Officer, Plan Japan
Mobile: +81 (0)80 3303 6712, Skype: mina_funakoshi
E-mail: mina.funakoshi@plan-international.org
Davinder Kumar
Press Officer, Plan International Headquarters (UK)
Mobile: +44 (0) 7739 326164
E-mail: davinder.kumar@plan-international.org
Setting a new milestone for child rights the UN for the first time has adopted a complaints procedure to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). It allows children to approach the UN if their rights are not being protected nationally and they have exhausted all domestic remedies to seek justice.
For this procedure to become a tangible reality for children, the States need to sign and ratify the new Optional Protocol.
Germany, Brazil, Spain, Finland, Mali, and Peru are among the first 20 States that signed the Protocol in a ceremony at the ongoing UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva today. The Protocol is now officially opened for signature and ratification by member States.
All States that sign up will still need to ratify the Protocol in order to be bound by its provisions and at least ten countries must ratify the Protocol before it can be used.
“The option of UN recourse for children can be a key tool to ensure that States make effective solutions available and accessible to address child rights violations nationally. All States who care about their children’s wellbeing should therefore ratify the protocol without delay,” said Anne-Sophie Lois, Plan’s UN Representative in Geneva.
“More than 20 years after their rights were officially recognised, children finally have a chance to access justice at the highest level. The new instrument needs to be entered into force quickly so it is available to all children who need it,” said Ms Lois.
The Optional Protocol will enhance the implementation of the CRC and its existing Protocols on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
It will allow children and their representatives, if they cannot secure justice in their country, to complain to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child - the international expert body in charge of monitoring the implementation of the CRC and its Optional Protocols.
This development is the result of active campaigning by an NGO coalition representing child rights and human rights NGOs from across the world since 2006. The NGO coalition campaigned for this new instrument to offer children a level of protection equivalent to that provided to adults at the UN level.
The NGO coalition will continue its work to ensure that this third Protocol enters into force as soon as possible. It will also work to raise awareness and understanding about this instrument among adults and children alike, and galvanising public support to ensure this Protocol is used to make a real difference for the protection of children’s rights around the world.
(Anne-Sophie Lois, Plan’s UN Representative in Geneva and Laure Abado, Child Rights Advisor, Plan Sweden, are available for media interviews.)
Notes to editors:
- In reviewing communications, the Committee on the Rights of the Child must follow the principle of the best interests of the child and must have regard to the rights and views of the child
- The Rules of Procedure for using the complaints mechanism are to be child-sensitive;
- Safeguards must be introduced to prevent potential manipulation of children, and the Committee can decline to consider communications that are not in the child's best interests
- The identity of any individuals involved in submitting a complaint, including child victims, cannot be revealed publicly without their express consent
- Communications must be submitted with the child victim’s consent, unless the person submitting a complaint can justify acting on the child's behalf without that consent.
Media contact:
Davinder Kumar
Press Officer, Plan International Headquarters, UK
Email: davinder.kumar@plan-international.org
Mobile: +44 (0) 7739326164