UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Websites/Multiple Documents
Description:
News stories, reports.
Source/publisher:
United Nations Childrfen?s Fund (UNICEF)
Date of entry/update:
2016-09-01
Grouping:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
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Individual Documents
Description:
"Today, 1.16 million doses of routine immunization vaccines funded by the Ministry of Health and Sports and procured through UNICEF arrived at the Yangon International airport, to support the resumption of immunization services across Myanmar. The UNICEF chartered cargo flight arranged with the cooperation of Scanned Global Logistics also brought the second batch of 10,000 COVID-19 test kits and other supplies as part of UNICEF’s ongoing support to the Ministry of Health and Sports (MoHS) to scale up testing capacity and fight the pandemic.
Since March 2020, routine childhood immunization services have been disrupted on a global scale that may be unprecedented since the inception of the expanded programme on immunization (EPI) in the 1970s. Similarly, in Myanmar, routine immunization services were temporarily halted from 1st April by the Ministry of Health and Sports, to allow the health sector to focus on its COVID-19 prevention and response activities and to maintain physical distancing measures to contain the spread of the virus.
However, the resumption of immunisation services was carefully planned and prepared for, taking account of essential infection prevention measures, alongside standard operational guidelines for health workers, and instructions for care takers to follow. With minimum community transmission in the country, where the confirmed cases are from quarantine sites, routine immunization was resumed in Government hospitals across the country from 18th May and will re-commence in rural health centres and communities from 1st June 2020.
“The Ministry of Health and Sports will continue vaccination services not only for all the eligible children who missed the regular doses in April and May, but also for the children who missed any of the routine vaccinations for other reasons in the past. We would like to request care takers to cooperate with health workers, to follow the recommended infection prevention and control measures, social distancing and hand hygiene measures when attending the vaccination clinics so that all the children are vaccinated safely and can stay away from COVID-19,” said Dr. Myint Htwe, Minister of Health and Sports.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, immunization sessions need a customized approach where services are provided following relevant infection prevention and control and safety measures associated with COVID-19. To minimize the risks of infection for health staff and community members, immunization posts will administer vaccines to an average of 50 children per day to ensure the vaccination posts are systematically organized in line with the recommended measures for COVID-19 prevention.
“COVID-19 is an eye-opener for all of us; it proves that outbreaks can happen in many countries all at the same time. Similarly, vaccine preventable diseases, like measles can re-surge at any time if coverage goes down. Therefore, Myanmar is taking a commendable step in resuming childhood vaccinations now,” said Dr. Stephan Paul Jost, WHO Representative to Myanmar..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Myanmar) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2020-06-02
Date of entry/update:
2020-06-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
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Description:
"Child protection case management continues for communities
In Myanmar, the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) and UNICEF’s implementing partners remain active responding to child protection cases in communities. Due to lockdown and semi-lockdown, inter-township and state movement restrictions and other public health measures, DSW case managers and NGO case workersface challenges in mobilizing necessary services for affected children and families, as well as keeping themselves safe from the virus.
Although logistical and operational difficulties have had some impact on the efficiency of case management response DSW case managers have followed up cases of child sexual abuse in family quarantine and in the townships under lockdown. With DSW case managers called on to coordinate support for children and women in quarantine centres in many States and Regions, DSW case managers’ capacity to respond to child protection cases was stretched.
Nevertheless, DSW case managers and NGO case workers have responded to 66 child protection cases in Kachin, Shan and Rakhine in April. A number that has increased when compared with the previous three months of the year.
Capacity building for the Government of Myanmar and civil society
After 13 online sessions over three weeks of May, UNICEF and Save the Children (SCI) have concluded the first round of training on two guidance notes for adapting case management and alternative care interventions in the context of COVID-19. A total of 243 frontline workers (188 females and 55 males) from government and non-government organizations across 10 regions and states received the training. The feedback from the trainings has been positive and frontline workers provided valuable insights on their areas of priority in responding to the pandemic. Current priority is given to raising community awareness of COVID-19 and ensuring those in need are referred to appropriate health care services. The findings also highlight gatekeeping and facilitating appropriate alternative care for children as the lowest priority. UNICEF will tailor further trainings and support accordingly to ensure the provision of high value technical assistance during the pandemic, as well as to ensure capacity building in areas where frontline workers have highlighted as being a lower priority. This initiative is supported by the Government of Canada..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Myanmar) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2020-06-02
Date of entry/update:
2020-06-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description:
"Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to claim lives and livelihoods. And the crisis is battering essential services that secure the education and protection of children, often with deadly costs. The most vulnerable children – such as those affected by poverty, exclusion or family violence – are facing even greater risks, cut off from existing support.
In Myanmar, the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 could affect public financing and result in a reduced level of services provided by the Government. Thus, with the COVID-19 outbreak still unfolding and as the Union Parliament examines the supplementary budget, the importance of allocating sufficient resources to address the short and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on children’s health, well-being, development and prospects cannot be stressed enough. Investment in social services (particularly in health, disaster management, social welfare and education programmes) that overwhelmingly depend on the allocations of the Union Budget, is the first line of action in response to the COVID-19 crisis..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Myanmar) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2020-05-31
Date of entry/update:
2020-06-01
Grouping:
Individual Documents
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Format :
pdf
Size:
861.81 KB
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Description:
"UNICEF rolls out “remote” orientations with the Government of Myanmar, Civil Society Organizations and health personnel to protect children during COVID-19
UNICEF and Save the Children are providing training for frontline workers from the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) and the Department of Rehabilitation (DoR) on two child protection guidance notes. The guidance notes developed in collaboration with Save the Children and Myanmar’s Inter-Agency Case Management Taskforce, provide frontline workers in all settings with the tools they need to ensure children are protected from all forms of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect during the pandemic.
A total of 16 DoR and 203 DSW frontline staff received the orientation in the first two weeks of May including: 24 from Kayin, 15 officials from Mon and Thanintharyi, 11 from Chin, 13 from Kachin, 30 from Magway, 26 from Mandalay, 40 from Sagaing and 44 from Yangon. Orientation sessions are also on-going for frontline workers of child protection agencies at national and regional level including: 31 members of Myanmar’s Case Management Task Force, 53 members of the child protection sub-sector in Kachin, as well as 65 of UNICEF’s implementing partners. UNICEF’s Child Protection and Health teams are collaborating to expand orientations on the guidelines to health professionals working in quarantine facilities through partnership with the Myanmar Medical Association..."
Source/publisher:
"UNICEF" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2020-05-14
Date of entry/update:
2020-05-14
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Language:
more
Description:
"As part of the preparedness and response to COVID-19 in Myanmar, UNICEF is working with partners to suspend or reorient activities to mitigate the risk to beneficiaries and partner staff. Life-saving activities continue.
• UNICEF is scaling up handwashing facilities, risk communication and protection activities as part of the COVID19 response.
• Fighting in Rakhine and Shan States continue to cause displacement and increasing needs; access remains extremely limited to these populations.
• Reports of grave violations of child rights continue to be recorded, affecting at least 80 children thus far in 2020.
Situation in Numbers
- 362,000 children in need of humanitarian assistance (HNO 2020)
- 986,000 people in need (HNO 2020)
- 274,000 internally displaced people (HNO 2020)
- 470,000 non-displaced stateless in Rakhine
Funding Overview and Partnerships
UNICEF appeals for US$46 million to sustain provision of critical and life-saving services for children and their caregivers in Myanmar. UNICEF/Myanmar received $454,270 from the Government of Denmark and an allocation of $1 million from global Humanitarian Thematic funding from Headquarters. These generous unearmarked contributions allow UNICEF to allocate funds to the areas of greatest need. Details of UNICEF’s budget requirements can be found in Annex B below and include significant needs for all of UNICEF/Myanmar’s ongoing emergency programmes including Child Protection, WASH, Health, Nutrition and Education..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (New York) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2020-04-19
Date of entry/update:
2020-04-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Diseases like coronavirus pose a big risk to refugees. But proper handwashing practices can help keep the threat in check.
Description:
"round the world, communities have been taking precautions to help slow the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and keep their families safe, including by practicing physical distancing.
But for the more than 850,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar living in cramped conditions in what is effectively the world’s largest refugee camp, keeping some distance from other members of the community is easier said than done. Many refugees live in flimsy bamboo and tarpaulin shelters where the dangers of everyday life remain all too real, including the high risk of the spread of infectious diseases.
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t precautions those living in Cox’s Bazar can take to minimize the risk of contracting diseases like COVID-19. In fact, many of the children there have already been doing one of the most important things they can to protect themselves: washing their hands thoroughly and regularly. Two and a half years ago, Rohingya children arriving in the camps had little or no access to basic water or sanitation facilities. UNICEF and partners moved quickly to establish basic water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, helping to contain the risk of a major disease outbreak.
In addition, by the end of 2019, UNICEF had set up around 2,500 learning centres, each equipped with a handwashing station providing soap and clean water, which made it possible to reach hundreds of thousands of Rohingya children with lessons on good health and hygiene – including how to wash their hands properly.
Even though the learning centres have been temporarily shut as a precaution against COVID-19, UNICEF continues to distribute essential supplies through its WASH programme, providing safe water and soap for around 240,000 Rohingya refugees – over half of whom are children..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (New York)
Date of publication:
2020-04-01
Date of entry/update:
2020-04-27
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description:
"A high-level Government ceremony in Sittwe, Rakhine State, marked the end of the Education Post Flood Response which ran for four years following Cyclone Komen in 2015. Led by the Ministry of Education with the support of the Government of Japan and UNICEF, the programme benefitted over 300,000 children in Rakhine and Chin states, reaching some for the first time.
A major achievement of the programme was the construction, repair and rehabilitation of 78 schools in Rakhine State with a provision of 37,350 roofing sheets to a further 263 schools in both Rakhine and Chin States. In addition, over 11,000 teachers were provided with training on a more inclusive approach to teaching and learning in the classrooms in both states. This included volunteer teachers from camps for the Internally Displaced Persons receiving for the first time the government-led Child Friendly School teacher training, bringing benefits to children’s learning at temporary learning classrooms in IDP camps.
The Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP) has inclusion and equity as one of the cross-cutting issues, and education is one of the priority areas. “Strong long-term partnership between the Ministry of Education and UNICEF, with both soft and hardware interventions, result in a holistic child friendly environment which goes far beyond just the construction of schools,” said the Director General of the Department of Basic Education, U Ko Lay Win. “The Rakhine State Government guidance and support to the Ministry of Education has ensured the safety and access of Government staff, UNICEF staff, and contractors involved in construction, monitoring and training activities, even in conflict afflicted areas.”..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Myanmar) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2020-02-05
Date of entry/update:
2020-03-01
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first), Chin State
Language:
more
Description:
"In 2020, UNICEF will enter a major new phase for education of Rohingya refugee children living in camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, together with other humanitarian actors. Following a landmark decision by the Government of Bangladesh, UNICEF will further expand access to education by introducing the Myanmar curriculum on a pilot basis in the first half of the year.
The pilot will initially target 10,000 Rohingya students from grades six to nine. It will then be expanded to other grades in a phased manner. The pilot targets older children, who currently have less access to education compared with their younger counterparts.
“Education takes people from the darkness and brings them into the light. “What drives me is the students’ ambition to learn,” said Rozina Aktar, a teacher for level 4 students.
Rohingya community’s desire for new curriculum
The introduction of the pilot follows the wishes of the Rohingya refugees and builds hope for their future by giving then access to education based on the Myanmar curriculum.
It will also help Rohingya children reintegrate into the Myanmar education system and society when conditions become conducive for them to return to Myanmar in a voluntary, safe and dignified way.
315,000 children and adolescents study at over 3,200 learning centres
UNICEF currently provides informal education opportunities to 220,000 Rohingya children aged 4 to14 years based on a tailor-made curriculum called the Learning Competency Framework and Approach (LCFA).
However, the majority of children (over 90 per cent) are learning LCFA levels 1 and 2, the equivalent of preprimary level up to grade 2 in a formal school system. Few Rohingya students have enough learning to study at the higher levels (LCFA levels 3 and 4), equivalent of grades 3 to 8, due to the poor status of their education in Rakhine State in Myanmar..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Myanmar) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2020-02-10
Date of entry/update:
2020-03-01
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Education and training of migrants and refugees from Burma, Burmese refugees in Bangladesh, Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first)
Language:
more
Description:
"In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, UNICEF’s focus has been on childfriendly risk communication messages in a number of ethnic languages to promote good hygiene and hand-washing behaviors to reduce transmission and spread. UNICEF is also issuing a U-Report “chatbot” to provide basic information and advice reaching over 33,000 young people countrywide.
• UNICEF and the Mine Risk Working Group (MRWG) recorded 36 casualties in January of whom 15 were children, and of five deaths, four were children.
• During the visit of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, she acknowledged the progress made by the Government with regards to the 2012 Joint Action Plan on the recruitment and use of children and urged continued engagement and a new joint action plan to better protect children and end killing, maiming and sexual violence..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (New York) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2020-01-31
Date of entry/update:
2020-03-01
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
685.13 KB (7 pages)
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Description:
"Today, the National Nutrition Centre of the Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health and Sports and UNICEF presented Frameworks of Action for Complementary Feeding and Maternal Nutrition at an event that included participants from several ministries including the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and Ministry of Education, as well as nutrition development partners in Myanmar.
The Frameworks of Action are a result of renewed regional efforts made in six ASEAN countries, including Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Myanmar to improve both child complementary feeding and maternal nutrition in the effort to address the triple burden of malnutrition, which includes undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and overweight and obesity. In each of the six countries, a comprehensive landscape exercise was conducted, including the review of key global, regional and country level findings to assess the current situation of children’s diet and maternal nutrition and identify relevant policy and programmatic opportunities. The analysis also included UNICEF’s recent flagship report, the 2019 State of the World’s Children (SOWC) which focuses on nutrition.
The SOWC Report and Myanmar’s landscaping exercise on maternal nutrition and complementary feeding show that poor eating and feeding practices start from the very beginning. Two in five pregnant women (40 per cent) and one in three (30 per cent)[1] of reproductive age women in Myanmar have iron deficiency anaemia, and anaemia during pregnancy can lead to premature birth and low-birth. In addition, only half of children under six months of age in Myanmar are exclusively breastfed– a practice that is protective against malnutrition and poor health, and 39 per cent of those children are introduced to complementary foods too early.
“While the country has done a lot to improve nutrition over the past decade, as seen in the reduction of childhood stunting from 35 per cent in 2009 to 27 per cent in 2017, more can be done particularly in improving the nutrition of pregnant women and the diets that young children consume. Additional focus in these areas will help us to achieve further sustained reductions in malnutrition”, said Dr. Lwin Mar Hlaing, Acting Director of the National Nutrition Centre..."
Source/publisher:
Ministry of Health and Sports (Myanmar) and UNICEF (Myanmar) via reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2020-02-16
Date of entry/update:
2020-02-17
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Children
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Change of heart by Bangladesh government is greeted enthusiastically by refugee advocates
Description:
"Rohingya children living in Bangladesh refugee camps will be allowed to receive a formal education after a change of heart by Dhaka, in a move welcomed by rights activists.
Nearly one million Rohingya, including more than half a million children, live in the squalid and crowded camps near the southeastern border with Myanmar, whence many had fled in 2017 after a brutal military crackdown.
The children were previously barred from studying the curriculua used in Bangladesh and Myanmar, and instead received primary education in temporary learning centers set up by the UN children’s agency UNICEF. “We don’t want a lost generation of Rohingya. We want them to have education. They will follow Myanmar curricula,” Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen told AFP on Tuesday.
The decision came after a meeting of a national task force set up by the government.
Local media reported that a pilot program involving more than 10,000 students would be launched soon, with UNICEF and Dhaka jointly designing the curriculum. The refugee children will be schooled in Myanmar history and culture up to age 14, and will also receive skills training so they can take up jobs back in Myanmar when they return home, the foreign ministry said..."
Source/publisher:
"Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2020-01-29
Date of entry/update:
2020-02-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first), Children, Education and training of migrants and refugees from Burma, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Burmese refugees in Bangladesh
Language:
more
Topic:
Rohingya, refugees, children, education, Bangladesh, UNICEF
Topic:
Rohingya, refugees, children, education, Bangladesh, UNICEF
Description:
" Rohingya children living in Bangladesh refugee camps will be allowed to receive a formal education after a change of heart by Dhaka in a move welcomed by right activists.
Nearly one million Rohingya, including more than half a million children, live in the squalid and crowded camps near the southeastern border with Myanmar, where many had fled from in 2017 after a brutal military crackdown.
The children were previously barred from studying the curriculums used in Bangladesh and Myanmar, and instead received primary education in temporary learning centres set up by the UN children's agency UNICEF.
"We don't want a lost generation of Rohingya. We want them to have education. They will follow Myanmar curricula," Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen told AFP on Tuesday.
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The decision came after a meeting of a national taskforce set up by the government. Local media reported that a pilot programme involving more than 10,000 students would be launched soon, with UNICEF and Dhaka jointly designing the curriculum.
The refugee children will be schooled in Myanmar history and culture up to age 14, and will also receive skills training so they can take up jobs back in Myanmar when they return home, the foreign ministry said.
"I can't express my joy with words ... generations of Rohingya hardly had any education in their homeland in Myanmar as they were discriminated there and were robbed of their citizenship," Rohingya youth leader and human rights activist Rafique bin Habib said..."
Source/publisher:
Agence France-Presse (AFP) (France) via "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2020-01-28
Date of entry/update:
2020-02-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Children, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Education and training of migrants and refugees from Burma, Burmese refugees in Bangladesh, Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first)
Language:
more
Description:
"In 2019, UNICEF reached over 460,000 children and their families with critical supplies including support for 4,213 children with severe acute malnutrition, measles vaccination for 12,222 children between 9 and 18 months, safe water for over 132,300 people, learning opportunities to 45,167 children, and 107,215 people received information on staying safe from unexploded ordinance.
Over 221 people, including 52 children, were killed or injured by landmines or explosive remnants of war in 2019. While this is down from 2018 when 276 people were killed or injured, there is a marked increase in Rakhine State, which now accounts for over one quarter of all incidents up from 0 in 2018.
UNICEF’s humanitarian activities continue in 2020 targeting Rakhine, Chin, Kachin, Shan and Kayin states where conflict-affected populations remain in need, including 361,000 children (source: 2020 Humanitarian Needs Overview)..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Myanmar) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2020-01-31
Date of entry/update:
2020-02-01
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
562.25 KB
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Description:
"UNICEF Myanmar has expressed deep sorrow over the death of four children last week when an explosive device went off while they were collecting fire wood in the forest near Htike Htoo Pauk village of Buthedaung Township in Rakhine State. Five more children were injured in the incident.
UNICEF, in a statement, said it was deeply concerned about the continued reports of killings and injuries of children, as a result of intensified fighting between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army in the conflict-affected areas of Rakhine State.
In 2019 alone, 16 children lost their life and 36 have been severely injured in conflict affected areas of Myanmar as a result of incidents caused by landmines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERWs)..."
Source/publisher:
"Mizzima" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2020-01-13
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-13
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Children, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first), Children's rights: reports of violations in Burma against more than one ethnic group
Language:
more
Topic:
Child protection, Armed conflict, Myanmar
Topic:
Child protection, Armed conflict, Myanmar
Description:
"UNICEF Myanmar expresses deep sorrow over the death offour children on Monday when an explosive device went off while they were collecting fire wood in the forest near Htike Htoo Pauk village of Buthedaung Township in Rakhine State. Five more children were injured in the incident. Our thoughts go to the families of the victims, to those injured and to all children caught up in conflict.
UNICEF is deeply concerned about the continued reports of killings and injuries of children, as a result of intensified fighting between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army in the conflict-affected areas of Rakhine State.
In 2019 alone, 16 children lost their life and 36 have been severely injured in conflict affect areas of Myanmar as a result of incidents caused by landmines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERWs).
UNICEF urges all parties to the conflict to stop laying mines and to clear existing mines and unexploded ordinances to ensure the safety of children caught up in conflict, and to uphold their right to protection. UNICEF also urges the Government to facilitate access for the provision of emergency Mine Risk Education activities so children, teachers and other community members receive psychosocial support and mine risk education in schools and communities in all conflict-affected areas of Myanmar..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Myanmar) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2020-01-12
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first), Children's rights: reports of violations in Burma against more than one ethnic group, Armed conflict in Rakhine (Arakan) State
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Three-fold rise in verified attacks on children since 2010, an average of 45 violations a day
Description:
"Children continue to pay a deadly price as conflicts rage around the world, UNICEF said today. Since the start of the decade, the United Nations has verified more than 170,000 grave violations against children in conflict – the equivalent of more than 45 violations every day for the last 10 years.
The number of countries experiencing conflict is the highest it has been since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, with dozens of violent armed conflicts killing and maiming children and forcing them from their homes.
“Conflicts around the world are lasting longer, causing more bloodshed and claiming more young lives,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “Attacks on children continue unabated as warring parties flout one of the most basic rules of war: the protection of children. For every act of violence against children that creates headlines and cries of outrage, there are many more that go unreported.”
In 2018, the UN verified more than 24,000 grave violations against children, including killing, maiming, sexual violence, abductions, denial of humanitarian access, child recruitment and attacks on schools and hospitals. While monitoring and reporting efforts have been strengthened, this number is more than two-and-a-half times higher than that recorded in 2010..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (New York)
Date of publication:
2019-12-29
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Children, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children's rights: reports of violations in Burma against more than one ethnic group
Language:
more
Description:
"UNICEF and the Rakhine State Government met on 29 November to review results achieved in the state in 2019 and discussed UNICEF’s identified priority areas for 2020/2021 as part of a multi-year work planning meeting conducted at state level. Contextual challenges and opportunities were also discussed.
• The Child Protection sub-sector organized several activities to mark the 30th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child. In Kachin, the Chief Minister opened a ceremony with more than 400 participants including IDPs, host communities, and child protection actors. In Shan and Rakhine States, high level government officials,
UN agencies, NGOs and civil society representatives attended events. The CRC celebration provided an opportunity to raise issues and concerns facing children in conflict-affected areas.
• The fluidity and continuous displacement of newly crisis-affected people, and the trend of fewer than 20 percent of IDPs remaining in the same temporary location for more than a month, has increased the challenges of reaching beneficiaries with the full complement of nutrition support among other services..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Myanmar) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2019-12-12
Date of entry/update:
2019-12-14
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
648.29 KB
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Description:
"On 6 December, yet another child lost his precious life in a horrific manner. The nine-year-old student, who was reportedly still wearing his school uniform and fleeing his school with other students because they heard sounds of armed clashes, was struck by several bullets and died on the spot on the road in front of his school, Basic Education Primary School – Pike The, in Kyauktaw, Rakhine State. We are shocked and saddened at such tragic loss of a child’s life.
UNICEF is deeply concerned about the alarming increase of reports of killings and injuries of children, as a result of intensified fighting between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army in the conflict-affected areas of Rakhine State.
UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict to ensure the full respect of the civilian character of schools, and to prevent any interference of armed actors with education infrastructures, personnel and students in line with national legal frameworks such as the Child Rights Law and the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement as well as obligations under international law. The presence of armed actors in or around schools increases the risk of schools being targeted and students and school personnel may be harmed, and school facilities damaged. It prevents children from accessing education, and associates schools with violent and traumatic events. We owe it to children to keep them safe at school and we urge all parties to the conflict, to exercise maximum restraint and to protect children at all times.
UNICEF further calls on the Government of Myanmar to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration and to adopt the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict, into domestic policy and operational frameworks..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-12-12
Date of entry/update:
2019-12-14
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Children's rights: reports of violations in Burma against more than one ethnic group, Armed conflict in Rakhine (Arakan) State
Language:
more
Description:
"In Myanmar, children and their families remain highly vulnerable, especially in conflict-affected areas. Provisional figures show that in 2020, approximately 905,000 people will need protection, over 870,000 will need access to safe water and sanitation, 255,000 will need education and 10,800 will need to be treated for severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The situation in Rakhine State is increasingly complex. In 2019, fighting between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army led to the displacement of 30,000 people, in addition to the 128,000 people internally displaced since 2012 and the 470,000 stateless people in need of humanitarian support. In Kachin State, the situation remains relatively stable, though 100,000 people remain internally displaced and are living in camps. In northern Shan State, short-term displacement continued in 2019. Though fewer than 10,000 people are living in displacement camps in northern Shan, many have been displaced multiple times, exacerbating their vulnerabilities. In these environments, children, particularly girls, are vulnerable to exploitation, sexual and gender-based violence, neglect, family separation, risky migration and abuse. Cramped camp conditions heighten these vulnerabilities, and limited access to basic services increases risks of communicable disease transmission. Children face additional risks from the increasing use of improvised explosive devices and landmines..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (New York) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2019-12-06
Date of entry/update:
2019-12-06
Grouping:
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UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
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Description:
"The Drivers of Violence Against Adolescents in Myanmar: Consultations to Inform Adolescent Programming Report is part of the Understanding Violence Against Adolescents in Myanmar Series which aims to contribute to this growing body of evidence to understand better why violence against children is happening and what is driving it. The Series draws data from both nationally representative data as is presented in this report and from the UNICEF-supported interventions where diverse information is being collected as part of programme monitoring. The Series attempts to give it a closer look at the data and information at hand and dig deeper the issue of violence against children in Myanmar. We hope to generate evidence, create deeper understanding of the issue and stimulate discussions – all to better inform programming to address violence against children in Myanmar.
This publication has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Government of Canada, as well as the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict. The views expressed in this publication are the author’s alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government, Canadian Government, UN Action or UNICEF..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-12-03
Date of entry/update:
2019-12-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Children's rights: reports of violations in Burma against more than one ethnic group
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pdf
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1.3 MB (80 pages)
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Sub-title:
A visual perspective on children affected by mass migration.
Description:
"To mark the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the World Press Photo Foundation and UNICEF jointly present a selection of stories showing the impact of mass migration on children, awarded in the World Press Photo Contests from 2016 – 2019.
Thirty years ago, world leaders made a promise to every child to promote and protect their rights by adopting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – an international agreement on childhood. The Convention became the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. Since then, governments across the world have taken action to ensure that more children survive and develop to their full potential.
Thirty years on, child rights have not changed – they have no expiry date. But childhood has changed. The rise of digital technology, environmental changes and mass migration are creating new threats for children. For too many children, migration is not a choice but a necessity.
More than 30 million children in the world today have moved across borders.
Migration has been omnipresent in the news and is a recurrent theme in the recent World Press Photo contests. Through different perspectives, these curated stories draw attention to the physical, emotional and psychological impact of mass migration on children from various parts of the world. It highlights the importance of protecting the rights of every child, wherever they are..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (New York)
Date of publication:
2019-11-22
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-27
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Children's Rights - studies, Discrimination against the Rohingya, Burmese refugees in Bangladesh
Language:
more
Description:
"In response to displacement due to fighting in northern Rakhine State, UNICEF distributed hygiene supplies to 287 people (82 households) in Buthidaung township, including 115 children, in October. In addition, two needs identification missions were completed in partnership with UNHCR, UNFPA and Malteser International. Security issues blocked access to several locations.
• The Child Protection sub-sector organized a workshop to update child protection referral pathways in northern Shan State as well as a training on protection, GBV, child protection and gender in WASH activities was held for 23 representatives of “first responders” from civil society organizations. An estimated 20,750 people were displaced between January to August 2019 in northern Shan State.
• UNICEF assisted the Shan State Government to finalize the Climatecentered Disaster Preparedness Strategy for the state which covers profile (geographic, hazards, environmental, social, economic, etc); vulnerability and capacity; risk mapping; State-level Disaster Management Committees; stakeholder mapping; and prioritized activities for disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and resilience building..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (New York) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2019-11-25
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-26
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Children's rights: resources and organisations
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pdf
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412.94 KB (5 pages)
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Description:
"Today, Myanmar launched the country’s first-ever Alternative Education Subsector [Policy] Framework that will guide the design and implementation of alternative education initiatives for out-of-school children.
In his opening address Deputy Minister, U Win Maw Tun, said, “This strategy is in line with the Ministry of Education’s policy of ‘leaving no child behind’ and will also help the nation achieve its goals under the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP) and the National Education Strategic Plan (2016-2021).” The framework builds on initiatives implemented over the past three years. So far, the country has over 17,000 non-formal primary and non-formal middle education learners as well more than 50,000 adult literacy learners.
The new alternative education initiatives outlined in the framework are aimed at children and youth who have experienced difficulty accessing formal education, including children and youth living in remote areas; children and youth in conflict- and disaster-affected areas; children and youth on the move; and children and youth with disabilities and chronic health problems.
“While steady progress has been made in school enrolment, it is estimated that there are still over 2 million children out of school in Myanmar, with significant disparities between states and regions,” said Paul Edwards, UNICEF Deputy Representative to Myanmar..."
Source/publisher:
UNICEF (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-11-22
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
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Topic:
Child rights, East Asia and the Pacific
Topic:
Child rights, East Asia and the Pacific
Description:
" ASEAN and UNICEF launched in Bangkok today a joint publication entitled “Children in ASEAN: 30 Years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child” that features achievements and actions for children’s rights in the region. The report was released during the ASEAN CRC30 commemorative event co-hosted by Thailand’s Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) and UNICEF.
At the event, ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Ministers and senior officials, civil society organizations, development partners and children representatives themselves discussed progress in implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as well as emerging challenges and new opportunities to realise child rights.
The report looks at what the next 30 years might look like for children in ASEAN. It highlights 10 actionable recommendations which include reinforcing regional systems and cross-border collaboration; ensuring no child is left behind; strengthening laws and policies; increasing public finance and social investment; as well as strengthening data collection, analysis and use.
Other suggestions are to ensure equal access to quality services; leverage innovation and technology; promote social and behaviour change; accelerate child-sensitive climate actions; and achieve gender equality..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (New York)
Date of publication:
2019-11-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children's Rights - studies, ASEAN-Burma relations, Children
Language:
more
Topic:
Nutrition, Malnutrition, Health, Myanmar
Topic:
Nutrition, Malnutrition, Health, Myanmar
Description:
"High up in the Thangmual Hills in north-western Myanmar’s Chin State, Nu Lun dreams of her seven-month-old daughter growing up to be strong and clever. Like most mothers, Nu Lun wants the best for her child, but she is unsure about the right way to feed her little one.
Nu Lun lives in a wooden cabin with her baby daughter, husband, mother-in-law and 12-year-old nephew. She buys rice and oil from the market, but most of the family’s food comes from their home garden and farm where her husband works.
To learn about nutrition, Nun Lun attends the local women’s group run by the auxiliary midwife in Tedim. Her mother-in-law also influences her, telling her the things her baby should and should not eat and how to prepare the food.
Nu Lun’s daughter often refuses to eat new foods, struggling with the textures and unable to swallow them. So Nu Lun finds herself reverting to giving her baby girl just breast milk and rice soup.
“They tell us about the extra foods we should give our baby, but my daughter spits them out. They are too coarse for her, so I just give her rice soup and breast,” explains Nu Lun while cooking traditional Chin corn soup for the rest of the family.
Other mothers are apparently also confused about what supplementary foods they should give their babies at what ages. Struggling to understand the food charts, they worry about their children choking..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-10-23
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Food Security in Burma/Myanmar - web searches, specialised groups, reports and statistics, Public Health, Children
Language:
more
Description:
"A high-level government ceremony in Sittwe, Rakhine State, marked the end of the Building on Quality Basic Education Programme (BoQBEP), which has benefitted over one million children nationwide, reaching some for the first time. The programme was led by the Ministry of Education with the support of the European Union (EU), Denmark and UNICEF.
The BoQBEP programme, which began in 2016, supported the Government of Myanmar to improve access to quality learning for disadvantaged children. A major achievement included the launch of the national Education Strategic Plan to guide the national framework for quality and inclusive education for all children in Myanmar. Direct support to children included providing kindergarten play materials such as books, puzzles and clay to all 70,000 kindergarten classes nationwide.
Since July 2017, BoQBEP increasingly focused on children in Rakhine State, supporting inclusive education for all children, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, race, gender or citizenship status in line with the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-11-05
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
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more
Description:
"• Coverage of basic health services and measles immunization significantly increased in both Kachin and Shan States in September. A total of 10,360 people (5,201 females; 5,159 males) accessed basic health care services, 614 per cent of the monthly target, and 601 children 9-18 months (282 girls; 319 boys) or 178 per cent of the target were vaccinated against measles through UNICEF support.
• Child Protection and Education sections in Rakhine State provided a “training of trainers” to 30 Township Education Officers and four Township Social Welfare Officers in 10 townships, which will be further “cascaded” to a total of 600 teachers in October. Each teacher will then provide psycho-social and explosive ordinance risk awareness sessions in their schools reaching an estimated 64,000 children.
• The WASH Cluster, supported by UNICEF, supported Training in Data Management and Analysis through Excel in Myitkyina, Kachin to 35 participants including Government staff and local NGOs as part of a national programme to build the capacity of all WASH stakeholders.
• UNICEF and our partner trained 45 child protection staff in Rakhine State on the reporting and monitoring mechanism for the six Grave Violations..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) via Reliefweb
Date of publication:
2019-09-30
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-17
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Children's rights: resources and organisations
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pdf
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517.09 KB
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Description:
"UNICEF Myanmar commends the Government of Myanmar for ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC). The ratification, which follows the enactment of the new Child Rights Law in July 2019, once again demonstrates Myanmar’s efforts to align national policies and regulatory frameworks with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child that Myanmar ratified in 1991.
Children bear the brunt of armed conflict worldwide, including in Myanmar. The presence of a dedicated chapter in the new Child Rights Law on the protection of children affected by armed conflict, coupled with the ratification of the OPAC, now provide a legal basis for the protection these particularly vulnerable children need.
The ratification of the OPAC also marks another important step by the Government towards ending and preventing the recruitment and use of children within the national armed forces, a commitment already under implementation through the Security Council-mandated Joint Action Plan signed with the United Nations in 2012, and which has led to major progress towards this end.
Welcoming the Government of Myanmar’s confirmation of the minimum age of 18 years for voluntary recruitment into military service, UNICEF calls on the Government to ensure that children enrolled from the age of 16 in military academies and vocational training programmes do not take any direct part in hostilities and do not commit themselves to long-term compulsory bonds with the military before reaching the age of 18.
UNICEF stands ready to support the Government of Myanmar in translating the commitments into tangible measures for the protection of boys and girls, and remains committed to continue working together to end and prevent all six grave violations against children..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) via Reliefweb
Date of publication:
2019-10-02
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
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Description:
"•The UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator a.i., and heads of UNICEF, OCHA, and UNFPA visited Rakhine State from 19 to 21 August 2019 looking at both older, predominantly Rohingya IDP camps and camps for newly displaced.
• UNICEF has carried out 14 humanitarian assistance missions in Rathedaung and Buthidaung Townships in Rakhine State, reaching a total of 5,569 displaced and host community members, including an estimated 2,200 children.
• Distribution of Essential Learning Packages (ELP) and School Kits for crisis-affected children and schools started on 13 August, reaching nearly 9,500 children in central and northern Rakhine State.
• In Kayin and Mon States, UNICEF supported the Government of Myanmar to support more than 16,000 people affected by floods and landslides in August through provision of emergency hygiene supplies including kits and bleaching powder..."
Source/publisher:
"Reliefweb" via UNICEF (USA)
Date of publication:
2019-09-18
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-18
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Children's rights: reports of violations in Burma against more than one ethnic group, Education in Burma - several ethnic groups, Public Health
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pdf
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1.27 MB
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Description:
"Brave Zu Zu Mi, 10, fled her village after fighting broke out. On her terrifying journey, she protected her siblings as they walked for three days before reaching a camp. Her hope is to become a teacher one day, but access to formal education for displaced children in camps is limited.
Unresolved conflict, poverty and under-development are preventing children, like Zu Zu Mi, in remote parts of Myanmar from benefiting from the reform and peace efforts by the government. Investing in children can help steer Myanmar move towards a more prosperous and stable future. All children, from every community, should benefit from the country’s reform and development..."
Source/publisher:
"UNICEF"
Date of publication:
2017-05-23
Date of entry/update:
2019-08-20
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Internal displacement/forced migration of Karen villagers, Armed conflict in Kachin State - human rights violations, Children, Children's rights: resources and organisations
Language:
more
Description:
"In March 2017, the Myanmar Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement’s Department of Social Welfare (MoSWRR–DSW) led the formation of a working group on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for children in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning and Finance’s Central Statistical Organization (MoPF-CSO) and with technical and financial support from the UNICEF Myanmar Country office. Operating under the Government’s Social Statistics Cluster (SSC), part of the national coordination mechanism on statistics, the working group met four times1, over the course of 2017 and early 2018, agreeing a list of 45 priority indicators for children across 9 SDGs. These correspond to 28 official SDG indicators broken down into 36 after the inclusion of some SDG indicators components as a separate indicator, and with the addition of 9 national indicators from plans and strategies for sectors like Health; Education; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Social Protection / Social Welfare.
One major focus of the SDGs is to address inequalities and get governments to commit to the reduction of equity gaps over time. This requires dedicated attention and follow-up through the SDG monitoring process. It requires the disaggregation of data by age (including children), sex and other dimensions as well as a recognition of the universality of the SDGs for all groups of the population in Myanmar and for all countries globally..."
Source/publisher:
UNICEF Myanmar
Date of publication:
2019-02-06
Date of entry/update:
2019-08-20
Grouping:
Individual Documents
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Description:
"Child rights monitoring: Evidence underpins all of UNICEF’s work, and our long and productive relationship with Myanmar positions us to support the Government’s efforts to build robust national data systems that reveal the situation of children. UNICEF analyses draw out important findings on children that support our advocacy for initiatives in health, education, water and sanitation. Importantly, UNICEF’s technical assistance supports the Government to create baselines and measure progress related to targets for children in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Improving social protection: In Myanmar, many people, including children, struggle to access social services. UNICEF places a priority on supporting national plans to expand the social protection system, so all children are included. In 2014, Myanmar launched the National Social Protection Strategic Plan, with eight flagship programmes that aim to promote human and socioeconomic development, strengthen resilience to cope with disasters, enable productive investments, and improve social cohesion. With UNICEF and partners’ support, the Government has undertaken an important step towards its implementation with an expanding Maternal and Child Cash Transfer scheme. In 2018, the programme helped boost child and maternal health among 100,000 pregnant women, and children under age two. UNICEF is a lead partner and has been providing full technical and capacity support in the scheme’s design as well as its monitoring and evaluation, including through use of a Management Information System..."
Source/publisher:
"Reliefweb" via UNICEF
Date of publication:
2019-08-16
Date of entry/update:
2019-08-18
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Children's rights: resources and organisations
Language:
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pdf
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321.28 KB
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Description:
"For children and young people, the protracted
state of limbo has awoken an intense desire
for learning opportunities that prepare them
for the future.
When the huge infl ux of refugees began
in 2017, UNICEF and partners responded
by setting up large numbers of Learning
Centres in the camps. For children unable
to fi nd space in the Centres, other options
have emerged: religious schools (madrasas)
provide free lessons in Koranic studies, Arabic
and other subjects; and private and group
tutors offer classes for those who can afford
them.
By June 2019, the overall education sector
had provided non-formal education to
280,000 children aged 4 to 14. UNICEF
and its partners have ensured access to
learning for 192,000 of those children,
enrolled in 2,167 Learning Centres.
At the same time, this leaves a gap of over
25,000 children not attending any learning
programmes, while an additional 640 learning
centres are needed.
Furthermore, an estimated 97 per cent of
adolescents and youth aged 15 to 18 years
are not enrolled in any type of learning facility.
Parents are concerned that the longer their
children are deprived of education, the
greater the risk that they will be exposed to
exploitation and abuse.
“Educated people have a value wherever they
are,” said Mohamed Hussein, who sends two
of his children to a Learning Centre in Camp
18. “Whether my son goes back to Myanmar
or to Malaysia or anywhere else, the same is
true.”..."
Source/publisher:
UNICEF
Date of publication:
2019-08-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-08-17
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Education and training of migrants and refugees from Burma, Burmese refugees in Bangladesh, Statelessness
Language:
Format :
pdf pdf
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2.82 MB 4.01 MB
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Description:
"After fleeing Myanmar, Shahed is studying hard at a camp in Bangladesh and wants to become an engineer or a doctor. Every child has a right to learn, no matter where they are or where they come from..."
Source/publisher:
"UNICEF"
Date of publication:
2019-08-09
Date of entry/update:
2019-08-17
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Education and training of migrants and refugees from Burma, Burmese refugees in Bangladesh
Language:
more
Description:
"25,000 newborns delivered and managed by Emergency Paediatric Care Programme teams
108,611 children and women in conflict-affected areas utilized antenatal care, delivery care, post-natal visits and emergency referrals
928 patients with severe and complicated illnesses received referral support in Kachin, Rakhine,
Shan States
3749 Basic Health Staff and clinical staff from Rakhine, Magway and Kachin States trained in Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition services
Our work to improve child and maternal health and nutrition helps save lives
Child survival and good health are the foundations of individual wellbeing and national prosperity. UNICEF is providing vital and holistic support to significantly improve the health and boost the nutrition condition of children in Myanmar. All our work is firmly anchored in a health systems strengthening approach with a focus on children with the greatest needs.
How we help: Our comprehensive approach boosts results
Ending preventable newborn and child deaths: Myanmar still has a high under-five children mortality rate of 50 per 1,000 live births. Vulnerability is highest among poorer families, and in disaster-prone and conflict-affected areas. Seven out of 15 states and regions contribute to 75 per cent of underfive deaths. Newborn deaths (in the first month of life) contribute to half of all child deaths, with most occurring during delivery and the child’s first day of life. Low delivery in health institutions (37 per cent) and low skilled birth attendance (60 per cent) contribute to this..."
Source/publisher:
"Reliefweb" via UNICEF
Date of publication:
2019-08-16
Date of entry/update:
2019-08-17
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, HIV/AIDS - international, regional and thematic material, Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Public Health
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
288.17 KB
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Description:
"A brilliant student without a real school, Rashed visits a UNICEF Learning Centre, an Islamic school and a private tutor to get the education he needs..."
Source/publisher:
UNICEF
Date of publication:
2018-09-12
Date of entry/update:
2019-08-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Education and training of migrants and refugees from Burma
Language:
more
Description:
"Mid-way through 2019, UNICEF has provided hygiene kits or hygiene items to nearly 306,000 people and provided sustained access to safe water to over 105,000 people, and education support to over 24,000 children between 3-17 years.
• As of the end of June, UNICEF has provided treatment for severe acute malnutrition to nearly 2,000 children between 6-59 months, helped to vaccinate nearly 5,000 children 9-18 months against measles, and provided psychosocial support to nearly 32,500 people.
• While access to several areas of Rakhine state is gradually improving, it is still not being granted to the full state. Despite this, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNFPA, and Malteser International, have successfully carried out needs identification missions to 19 new displacement sites in Buthidaung and Rathedaung Townships and delivered humanitarian assistance in 17 sites reaching nearly 5,000 people.
• Despite the generous contribution of donors thus far, mid-way through the year UNICEF Myanmar remains with a funding gap of 66 percent(US$38.9 million), impacting the ability to fully reach children in need of life-saving and life-sustaining humanitarian assistance..."
Source/publisher:
reliefweb via UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2019-07-19
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
831.69 KB
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Description:
"On July 5th, UNODC, UNICEF, UNFPA and the Union Attorney General's Office (UAGO) met in Nay Pyi Taw to discuss combating the rise in violence against Myanmar's women and children. The high-level needs assessment workshop on 'Effective Prosecution Responses to Cases of Violence Against Women and Children' aimed to assess the needs of Myanmar's prosecutors in effectively prosecuting and supporting victims of gender based violence (GBV) and child cases.
During the workshop, dozens of representatives from the UAGO took part in group discussions on the challenges law officers face in responding to cases of violence against women and children. Challenges included inter-agency cooperation, the referral process for survivors, evidence-gathering, and addressing language barriers in courts for ethnic minorities. Exchanges were also made between representatives from UNODC, UNICEF, the UNFPA and the workshop participants on best practices and opportunities to strengthen the justice sector's ability to protect survivors, enact justice, and ensure fair trials.
The workshop builds on a growing history of cooperation between UNODC and Myanmar's criminal justice sector on responding to GBV. Since 2016, a partnership between UNODC and the Myanmar Police Force (MPF) has resulted in several officer trainings on gender and gender-based violence awareness, with a focus on case management and victim-oriented investigation techniques.
The UAGO workshop was in line with the UN's own efforts at reform by promoting inter-agency collaboration and adherence to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Addressing SDG 5 Gender Equality, SDG 16 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions, and SDG 17 Partnership for the Goals, the joint workshop between UNODC, UNICEF and UNFPA was a successful in utilizing individual UN mandates and strengths to promote an integrated approach to the issues.
In his keynote address, his excellency U Tun Tun Oo, Union Attorney General, stressed how important it is to bring justice to survivors. The Union Attorney General's message highlighted the importance especially in light of figures released earlier this year by the Ministry of Home Affairs, showing a significant rise in the number of reported cases of sexual assault.
To an audience featuring representatives from the UAGO, civil society organisations and the press, the Union Attorney General expressed the Myanmar Government's resolve to "better protect women and children in the future against violence directed at them".
Speaking at the event, UNODC advisor Marie Pegie Cauchois recognised the timeliness of the workshop. The Child Rights Law is expected to be adopted by the Myanmar Parliament later this year and the Prevention of Violence Against Women Law is still being drafted. She highlighted that, "for the successful implementation of these laws, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, capacity building of the justice sector will be needed".
In ending the workshop, UNODC, UNICEF and the UNFPA thanked the members of the justice sector for their active participation and recognised the importance of hearing and exchanging with practitioners to identify needs and avenues for cooperation moving forward. They also shared their readiness to continue work with the UAGO in developing training and other required materials..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2018-07-05
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Women's rights, Children's Rights - studies
Language:
English
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Description:
"In May, UNICEF Myanmar issued a press statement calling for the urgent protection of children in Rakhine State as schools re-open and expressing concern about reports of killing of children as a result of direct targeting and indirect actions, detention and mistreatment of children, and the use of schools for military purposes, since the conflict between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army (AA) intensified in 2019.
• UNICEF continues to support distribution of supplies to “newly” displaced populations in central and northern Rakhine State as a result of Tatmadaw/AA fighting, while continuing to advocate for, and request, consistent unfettered access to provide more comprehensive services to those in need.
• Ninety-five percent of IDP students, including 449 girls, participating in UNICEF-supported formal and non-formal primary education activities, passed the Government primary school matriculation examinations this year.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
In Kachin, residents continue to benefit from the Governmentdeclared ceasefire which has been extended until 30 June 2019.
However, displaced families remain concerned about returning to their areas of origin either due to insecurity, explosive ordinance and remnants of war, or lack of services given the protracted displacement. The total number of displaced in Kachin State has remained constant since November 2018— 97,265 people in 140 camps or camp-like settings. There have been some intermittent or ad-hoc returns; however, contamination of explosive ordinance remains a significant concern. In May, three incidents related to explosive ordinance were reported including the death of a 17-year-old boy. In northern Shan State, fighting between ethnic armed organizations continued with additional displacement.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that since January 2018, nearly 47,000 people have been displaced due to fighting in Kachin and northern Shan states resulting in a total displacement of over 106,000 people—over 35 percent of whom reside in nongovernment-controlled areas. OCHA reports that in government-controlled areas, access is also increasingly difficult and there are nearly 20,000 people who cannot be accessed due to lack of travel authorization and inconsistent access is impacting service delivery to over 55 percent of those in need. In northern Shan State in particular, many families have suffered multiple displacements. For children, the constant displacements create additional vulnerabilities such as disrupted education, potential separation from families, or increased exposure to landmines.
UNICEF and other international actors continue to be denied access to non-government-controlled areas of Kachin and northern Shan States resulting in an increasing burden on host communities and national NGOs who are responding to the increasing needs. In more remote or rural areas where access is difficult or inconsistent, communities may not be receiving required assistance from the humanitarian community; consequently, updated information on needs is not available.
In Rakhine State, UNICEF and partners retain access to the 2012-established IDP camps principally housing Rohingya IDPs. Access to “newly” displaced people—as a result of conflict between the Arakan Army and Tatmadaw—varies depending on the location; in some areas access is consistently denied. Agencies continue to work with the government and local groups to provide assistance whenever possible given these access challenges; to date this has largely been a commodity-based opportunity-led response rather than comprehensive and sustained service delivery. UNICEF, working with UNFPA, and UNHCR, has received access in both central and northern Rakhine State to conduct “needs verification” trips and in some cases, follow up visits to provide relief items. However, access to some UN and NGO development activities have been impacted by the fighting and additional access restrictions; OCHA reported in May that approximately 50,000 direct or indirect beneficiaries have been affected by access restrictions in Kyauktaw and Ponnagyun townships alone. For access to be granted, agencies must navigate numerous bureaucratic obstacles which prevents any itinerary deviations due to changing circumstances on the ground; as a result, identification of needs and response activities remains a challenge.
On 28 May, UNICEF Myanmar released a statement expressing concern on the reports of killing, detainment, and mistreatment of children as well as the use of schools for military purposes. The statement further urges all parties to ensure the safety of children and protect them from violence. Amnesty International released a report titled “No One Can Protect Us’ on 29 May 2019 which further highlights reported violations of international humanitarian law and a number of human rights abuses as a result of the conflict by the Arakan Army and Tatmadaw since the start of 2019.
Amnesty International reported targeting of civilians, damage to homes and property, obstruction of humanitarian service provision or movement of injured to medical facilities, and other violations..."
Source/publisher:
reliefweb via UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2019-06-15
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first)
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.17 MB
more
Description:
"For the past two months, 18-month-old Noor Bu Shar has been receiving supplementary feeding and treatment for Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) at the Maungdaw Action Contre La Faim Out-patient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) supported by UNICEF.
At the time of her admission to the programme, Noor Bu Shar weighed only seven kilogrammes. Gradually, as a result of treatment, her weight and general condition improved according to her mother, Dil Kaayas. “She is more playful now and already her weight has increased by one kilogram,” said Dil Kaayas with a smile.
In 2019, with funding support from the Government of Japan, the partnership between UNICEF and Action Contre la Faim is reaching 458 children under the age of five in the northern part of Rakhine State with treatment for SAM through the provision of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), health monitoring, nutrition assessments, psychosocial counselling and health education.
In 2018, despite limited access in some conflict-affected areas, UNICEF and partners were able to reach 2,740 boys and girls under-five, who required treatment for Severe Acute Malnutrition like Noor Bu Shar, providing them with lifesaving therapeutic nutrition; and continued building local Government capacity in the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) as part of the essential health services package in Myanmar..."
Source/publisher:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2019-05-29
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
General studies and surveys on health in Burma, Children, Nutrition, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Dear UNICEF partners,
As Myanmar writes a new chapter in its history, and
as the World adopts its Sustainable Development
Goals agenda, UNICEF Myanmar‘s report for 2015
“Delivering Results for Children” is an opportunity
to reflect on progress and results within the 2011-
2017 Programme of Cooperation between the
Government of the Union of Myanmar and UNICEF.
This year, the cooperation has been driven by three main considerations: 1/ the
importance of turning policies and plans into tangible changes in children’s lives,
as longer term reforms proceed; 2/ the need to respond to humanitarian needs
- arising from protracted situations and from the massive floods and landslides
that affected the country, while further mainstreaming risk reductions strategies into
development plans; and 3/ the central place of children in determining factors for
Myanmar’s sustainable development - peace, social cohesion, and human rights.
Releases of children and young people from the armed forces have continued,
with more than 146 released this year alone, and falling one child short of the 700
mark since the signing of the Joint Action Plan in 2012. In targeted townships,
the proportion of children aged 3-5 years accessing early childhood facilities
increased to 37.5% in 2015 from 17% in 2014. More than 95% of children aged 9
to 15 (approximately 13 million) were protected from measles and rubella through
vaccination campaigns. More than 280,000 children in 27 townships benefitted from
the first ever deployment of social work case managers. The proportion of children
under 5 registered continued to increase, reaching 79% in 2015..."
Bertrand Bainvel
Source/publisher:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2015-12-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Education in Burma/Myanmar - general, Public Health, Children's rights: reports of violations in Burma against more than one ethnic group
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.66 MB
more
Description:
"Seven-year-old Ma Han Su Lwin is very proud of her ‘Miss Clean’ award.
“I’m feeling good about myself and happy to help other students learn how to improve their personal hygiene,” said Han Su Lwin.
Every month the students at Sin Taung Middle School in Demawso Township in Kayah State observe their daily behaviours and decide among themselves who gets the ‘Mr Clean’ or ‘Miss Clean’ champion awards. It’s a keen competition that builds awareness of water and sanitation issues and personal hygiene.
Since the recent installation of new sanitation facilities at the school by UNICEF and the beginning of the hygiene awards, teacher Daw Myint Myint Hlaing is very enthusiastic about the dramatic changes she has witnessed.
“The clean and comfortable facilities definitely encourage our children to follow good personal hygiene practice. They are learning more about the importance of cleanliness and I’m seeing them enjoying using the facilities,” said Daw Myint Myint Hlaing.
“Before this, we didn’t have enough clean drinking water available and our hygiene standards were low. The toilet facilities used to be very basic and dirty. Solid and liquid waste was collected in a single bucket and there was only one handwashing facility, with no soap or running water. Understandably, adolescent girls would choose to miss classes during their menstruation,” the teacher explained.
UNICEF’s WASH in Schools programme in Myanmar sees the installation of raised water tanks with piping to support male and female latrines, hand-washing stations, drinking water machines, water filters and menstrual hygiene management kits. The programme also includes hygiene education, menstrual hygiene management awareness training for students and teachers, and training of school maintenance staff on the operation and maintenance of the WASH facilities.
Over 9,488 children in twenty-seven schools in Kayah State benefit from the improved water, sanitation and hygiene facilities through this programme.
A recent ‘Mr Clean’ award winner, nine-year-old Maung Thurein Min revealed, “I’ve been learning about keeping my body clean. These are new and interesting things for me. When I’m clean, I feel much happier in my life,” reflected Maung Thurein Min..."
Khin Mar Win, A Mar Zaw
Source/publisher:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2019-05-07
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Description:
"It costs money to make sure children are having their rights met. All governments have public money. They have to make important decisions about how to use it..."
Source/publisher:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2015-01-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Education for children with disabilities
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.24 MB
more
Description:
"This report, which is based on the in-depth study of Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro,
independent expert appointed by the Secretary-General pursuant to GeneralAssembly resolution 57/90 of 2002, provides a global picture of violence against
children and proposes recommendations to prevent and respond to this issue. It
provides information on the incidence of various types of violence against children
within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places
where children work and communities. The Study is accompanied by a book which
provides a more detailed account of the Study.
The Study was prepared through a participatory process which included
regional, subregional and national consultations, expert thematic meetings and field
visits. Many Governments also provided comprehensive responses to a questionnaire
transmitted to them by the independent expert in 2004.
The independent expert is grateful for the broad support for his work provided
by Governments, regional bodies and intergovernmental bodies, as well as from
United Nations entities, civil society organizations and children..."
Source/publisher:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) via United Nations (A/61/299)
Date of publication:
2006-06-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
166.23 KB
more
Description:
"February proved to be a turbulent month in northern Shan and Rakhine States with both locations tracking additional displacements. In Rakhine, fighting between the Arakan Army and Tatmadaw continued with fighting in five of the 17 townships. Fighting also continued in northern Shan state between armed ethnic organizations leading to the displacement in February of 3,700 people bringing the total displacement in the first two months of the year to approximately 7,500 people. In contrast, Kachin State has not experienced armed conflict since September 2018 resulting in the lowest level of fighting since 2016.
In Kachin, the unilateral ceasefire declared by the Myanmar Military (Tatmadaw) in December 2018 continues to hold. It is unclear if, when the ceasefire ends in April, fighting will restart. The Tatmadaw and Kachin State Government are encouraging people to leave IDP camps and return home or to other resettlement sites. Though similar encouragement has been given in the past, the lack of information among IDPs has created an environment of fear and anxiety in many locations. Though IDPs continue to state their desire to return to their place of origin, safety and security issues remain among the principal concerns.
In northern Shan, of the 7,500 people displaced, most have been able to return home. However more than 1,100 remain in camps or camp-like settings—due principally to fighting in Hsipaw and Kyaukme townships—most newly displaced are sheltering in monasteries and are receiving assistance from the local community, private donors and civil society organizations. Assistance has also been provided by some international organizations as well as the Government of Myanmar. IDPs noted the need for additional sanitation, bathing and washing facilities, sleeping mats and interagency partners expressed concern about the length of displacement given the volatility in these areas. Fighting and displacement continued in late February causing injuries to civilians and children.
In Rakhine State, fighting between the Arakan Army and the Tatmadaw continued with the use of explosive devices and shelling. In late February the fighting expanded into a sixth township, Mrauk-U, resulting in the temporary displacement of families, including women and children. Access in all six townships—Mrauk U, Kyawktaw, Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, Maungdaw and Buthidaung—remains limited to mainly urban areas for UNICEF and our partners. The clashes occurred on a near daily basis throughout February displacing over 6,000 people, primarily ethnic Rakhine, to villages, monasteries or camp-like settings. Interagency partners continue to face access restrictions in these areas and are tracking the impact of movement restrictions on both humanitarian and development programming. In addition to fighting within Rakhine State, the Arakan Army and Tatmadaw are fighting in Paletwa Township of southern Chin State. Fighting has thus far caused the displacement of approximately 500 people including ethnic Chin, Khami, Mor, and Rakhine..."
Source/publisher:
reliefweb via UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2019-03-15
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Children's Rights - studies, Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies)
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.06 MB
more
Description:
"In Rakhine State, fighting between the Myanmar Military or Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army (AA) continues and has spread to include Buthidaung, Rathedaung, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya and Ponnagyun. To a lesser extent, fighting has also impacted communities in neighbouring Paletwa township of Chin state. The majority of fighting has occurred in more rural or mountainous areas, however recent fighting has spread to Minbya and Mrauk-U. Reports indicate the use of air strikes, increased use of landmines and other improvised explosive devises. During the month of February, the number of displaced persons increased by over 10,000 with reported displacement of nearly 17,000. (Note: though this Sit Rep covers the month of March, as of April 23 figures had increased to nearly 32,000. End Note).
The Government of Myanmar, local communities, the Red Cross Movement, and the World Food Programme are responding to food and non-food emergency needs. UNICEF and other actors are working with the Government to access populations in need, especially as the IDP figures grow. In central Rakhine, OCHA is leading a process of contingency planning while in northern Rakhine UNICEF is working with UNHCR, UNFPA, and national and international actors to determine additional needs and response priorities. The current pattern of displacement indicates that primarily women and children are moving to monasteries or other ad-hoc settlements while men stay to protect households and assets. Additionally, some IDPs are quickly returning to their homes if the fighting subsides. As fighting continues unabated, concern is growing over the safety of families residing in paddy fields or overcrowded sites with inadequate services. The upcoming monsoon rains could create potentially hazardous conditions without addition support and appropriate planning. In locations not impacted by the current fighting, several agencies have resumed activities where possible.
In a “note to correspondents” released on 19 March, the Acting Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator expressed his concern about the fighting and reported civilian casualties and displacement. He urged all parties to ensure the protection of civilians and uphold responsibilities under international humanitarian and human rights law, as well as allowing access to populations in need. In the central Rakhine IDP camps created in 2012, hosting primarily Rohingya IDPs, the situation remains unchanged. Over 128,000 people remain in overcrowded and under-resourced camps. As the end of the dry season approaches, agencies are preparing to address potential water shortages in Pauktaw IDP camps.
In Chin State, more than 500 people remain displaced due to recent fighting. UNICEF field office staff report that an additional 2,000 people are constrained by fighting and insecurity. UNICEF is working with Sittwe-based NGO partners as well as Government of Myanmar officials in Paletwa and the state capitol Hakha to coordinate evaluation of needs, planning, and response activities.
In Kachin State, a period of calm holds as the unilateral ceasefire declared by the Tatamadaw remains in place. However, humanitarian access, particularly to areas not under government control remains blocked by the Government of Myanmar resulting in a constrained response. National NGO humanitarian agencies continue to provide services in these areas. In review of the travel authorization requests by the humanitarian community, over half have not been approved by the Government. In Kachin and Shan, this results in effective access to less than 45 percent of the people in need.
In Shan State, fighting between ethnic armed organizations or EAOs resulted in an increasing number of IDPs, including in south Shan State. Over 10,000 people have been displaced from six townships; the majority of these have now returned home. Fighting in early March displaced over 600 people in southern Shan State to two locations where they are receiving support from the Government, NGOs and private organizations. In northern Shan State, the displacement, or re-displacement of hundreds of people—many of whom have fled multiple times. Local groups who are generally the first to provide assistance are reporting a strain in response capacity as their resources are stretched by numerous repeated displacements in a short period of time. Though many IDPs have already returned to their homes, for those that remain displaced, they are generally sheltering in religious sites. Interagency assessments note that NFIs and WASH are the most needed support. In Shan, during the month of March, the Mine Risk Working Group noted three deaths and nine injuries due to conflict, landmines and UXO out of a total of five deaths and 22 injuries in Kachin, Shan and Rakhine..."
Source/publisher:
reliefweb via UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2019-04-23
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Children's Rights - studies, Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies), Armed conflict in Rakhine (Arakan) State
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.26 MB
more
Description:
"During the month of April, the unilateral ceasefire called by the Myanmar Military in December for four months and then extended through June generally continued to hold in all areas of the country except Rakhine. In Kachin, this ceasefire has led to a relatively longer period of calm than has been experienced in several years. While this is a positive step forward, UNICEF and other humanitarian actors continue to have difficulty accessing different population groups—for assessment or response activities; this is particularly true in areas not under government control. In Shan State, though military action taken by Myanmar armed forces has halted, fighting and conflict among different armed ethnic groups continues to cause small-scale displacement for communities. Many of these communities have been displaced multiple times. While local communities are among the first to respond and support displaced populations, they have noted to humanitarian colleagues that their ability to provide assistance is becoming strained as resources are stretched due to the increasing frequency of displacement.
In Rakhine State, fighting between the Tatmadaw and Arakan Army (AA) continued in April causing a near doubling of displaced people. Impacted townships include Mrauk-U, Minbya, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Rathedaung and Buthidaung and impacts mostly ethnic Rakhine populations, though Rohingya and other minority groups have also been affected. In Chin State, the number of IDPs in Paletwa township also doubled in April. Sixteen international non-governmental organizations released a statement on 1 April urging all parties to the conflict to ensure protection of civilian and be provided with unfettered and sustained access to all affected populations. The statement further identifies that at least 95,000 people living in the affected areas are unable to access basic and essential services which could jeopardize their health, food security and wellbeing.
The Government of Myanmar, local communities, the Red Cross Movement, and the World Food Programme (WFP) continue to be the providers of first response but are calling for an increase in the number of nationals and international organizations to be allowed to access populations in need. With the onset of the rainy season, agencies are particularly concerned about the potential for disease outbreaks and contamination due to overcrowded, poor shelters in some locations, and a lack of required services. Support to over 128,000 Rohingya IDPs in camps in central Rakhine continues..."
Source/publisher:
reliefweb via UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2019-05-20
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first), Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies), Armed conflict in Rakhine (Arakan) State, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), WFP (World Food Programme), Internal displacement/forced migration of Rohingyas, Discrimination against the Rohingya, Children
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1003.43 KB
more
Description:
"Ms. June Kunugi is the UNICEF Representative appointed to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar since September, 2017.
Prior to this appointment, Ms. Kunugi served as UNICEF Special Representative in the State of Palestine, responsible for managing programmes and operations covering humanitarian, development, and normative areas of activity for UNICEF. She oversaw an office of over 80 staff in four locations: East Jerusalem, Gaza, Nablus, and Hebron.
Before this, Ms. Kunugi was Deputy Director of UNICEF’s Public-Sector Alliances and Resource Mobilization Office (PARMO) in New York headquarters, where she worked on public sector funding strategies, policies and partnerships. She was also PARMO Director a.i. for nine months, overseeing three offices in New York, Brussels and Tokyo.
From February 2009 to April 2010, she was Director of UNICEF Tokyo Office, in charge of public sector alliances and resource mobilization in Japan and the Republic of Korea.
She served as UNICEF Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina from December 2006 to February 2009. She was Representative to Oman from June 2003 to December 2006, as well as Area Representative a.i. for the Gulf countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates from September 2004 to December 2006.
From June 2000 to June 2003, Ms. Kunugi was an Executive Officer in the Office of the Executive Director, at UNICEF New York Headquarters, working with the Deputy Executive Director (External Affairs). She was part of the team that organized the 2002 Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Children.
She joined UNICEF in 1991 as a consultant with the Division of Public Affairs in New York headquarters. In 1993 she went to UNICEF Viet Nam as an Assistant Information & Communication Officer under the Junior Professional Officer programme sponsored by the Government of Japan. She was appointed to UNICEF Bangladesh in 1996, where she was first Information Officer and then Chief of Information and Advocacy..."
June Kunugi
Source/publisher:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2017-01-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Children, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Before Ma Thet Thet Aung became a full-time mother, she used to work as a teacher. “But, I really wanted to become a police woman. I think the uniform exude confidence,” says Ma Thet Thet Aung with a smile. “Ever since I became a mother, I look after my daughter; help my mother with house chores and take part in our community group discussions.”
Ma Thet Thet Aung lives in Wan Pan Akhar village about an hour drive from Keng Tung town in eastern Shan State. The community group discussions, usually take place at the residence of the village head. It is also the same place where Ma Thet Thet Aung takes Ei Thet Mon, her 15 months old baby, for her growth monitoring.
“Ei Thet has always been a healthy baby, weighing 6.4 lbs at birth. The health workers always put her weight record in the green zone of the growth chart. She does not cry or get grumpy as much. I am thankful, especially, for the sessions I attended during her first six months. I received useful advice on how to take care of a child in the early months,” says Ma Thet Thet Aung, referring to the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) support group sessions provided by the Malteser International with funds from Department for International Development (DFID) through UNICEF. The villagers refer to Ei Thet Mon as one of the healthiest babies and everyone finds it hard to put her on the weighing scale that is tied to a longyi.
Ei Thet Mon is being put into a hammock-like longyi tied to a weighing scale with the help of a health educator and a mother at a growth monitoring session in Wan Pan Akhar village in Keng Tung, eastern Shan State.
"It is amazing how she keeps growing. She was just 9 lbs three months ago and now she is already 10.5 lbs. I am glad I knew how to take care of her when she fell sick last month.”
But, not every mother has an all positive story as Ma Thet Thet Aung. Recently, her six months-old nephew’s weight record has dropped down to the red zone compared to his last. But help was not too far. Right away, health educators consulted her sister-in-law, Ma Soe Soe Khaing on what she needs to do to bring her son’s weight back to the green zone. Ma Thet also shares her experience with Ma Soe Soe Khaing regularly..."
Nyan Zay Htet
Source/publisher:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2019-05-03
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-09
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Description:
"When children live in conflict affected areas or in camps for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), their education will be one of the first things to be compromised. But when communities and local officials realize the future of those vulnerable children can be brighter through education, then it will be possible to keep children learning even in difficult circumstances.
In Kachin State, following the conflict in April 2018, children from villages in Njang Yang Township, including students and teachers from Zup Mai Yang village, took shelter in Tang Hpre IDP camp. Initially, the children were not able to start the 2018-2019 academic year. However, with the collaboration of the local community, State Parliamentarians and district education authorities children like Hkun Mai are now able to learn within the camp..."
Fre Yilma
Source/publisher:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2019-05-06
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-09
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Description:
"In March 2017, the Myanmar Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement’s Department of Social Welfare (MoSWRR–DSW) led the formation of a working group on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for children in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning and Finance’s Central Statistical Organization (MoPF-CSO) and with technical and financial support from the UNICEF Myanmar Country office. Operating under the Government’s Social Statistics Cluster (SSC), part of the national coordination mechanism on statistics, the working group met four times1, over the course of 2017 and early 2018, agreeing a list of 45 priority indicators for children across 9 SDGs. These correspond to 28 official SDG indicators broken down into 36 after the inclusion of some SDG indicators components as a separate indicator, and with the addition of 9 national indicators from plans and strategies for sectors like Health; Education; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Social Protection / Social Welfare.
One major focus of the SDGs is to address inequalities and get governments to commit to the reduction of equity gaps over time. This requires dedicated attention and follow-up through the SDG monitoring process. It requires the disaggregation of data by age (including children), sex and other dimensions as well as a recognition of the universality of the SDGs for all groups of the population in Myanmar and for all countries globally..."
Source/publisher:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2019-02-06
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-09
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Description:
UNICEF together with the Ministry of Health and Sports and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation convened key representatives from national Government, Yangon and Mandalay Municipalities, several universities, development partners, donors and UN agencies to take stock of the current situation and to chart a way forward with practical solutions to address the increasingly serious health concerns from indoor and outdoor air pollution in Myanmar.
Outdoor and indoor air pollution are directly linked with pneumonia and other respiratory diseases that account for almost 1 in 10 deaths among children under the age of five globally, making air pollution one of the leading concerns for children’s health. In Myanmar, almost all rural households use highly polluting biomass for cooking. Additionally, smog-forming emissions from old vehicles and the burning of waste (household, industrial, agricultural, etc.) deteriorate the air quality in urban areas. Acute respiratory infection is one of the most common childhood illnesses and the third leading cause of death for children under five. The most recent data shows that 62 per cent of child deaths from acute lower respiratory infections in Myanmar can be attributed to indoor air pollution. For children under the age of five, household air pollution is the fourth-highest risk factor behind low birth weight, childhood underweight, and suboptimal breastfeeding.
“With rapid development already occurring, it is important to address air pollution in Myanmar for the health and safety of Myanmar’s people. We have immediate choices before us to develop sustainably and with adequate consideration to our environment,” said Dr. Maung Maung Soe, Mayor of Yangon City, in his opening remarks. “We need effective partnerships—public and private—international, national, municipal, and local—to build on the momentum growing and fill the critical gaps urgently.”
The East Asia and Pacific region is home to some 4.3 million children under the age of five living in areas where outdoor air pollution exceeds six times the international limits set by the World Health Organization. While some countries are making progress, most face critical challenges in their fight against air pollution due to the lack of availability and use of quality data on air quality and health impacts and cross-sectoral mechanisms to develop and implement clean air solutions that meet the needs of children and most vulnerable populations.
Sharing the experience of actions taken in Mongolia to address the air pollution crisis in that country, UNICEF’s Representative to Mongolia, Alex Heikens, outlined effective areas of effort to reduce the impact of air pollution on children: mitigating the immediate health impacts while reducing specific causes of pollution sustainably; reducing exposure through awareness raising in communities and schools; and strengthening health services.
The potential for youth engagement as agents of change was also highlighted by students who have been involved in the new bottom-up air quality monitoring around Yangon. Connect University students have taken the issue into their own hands by contributing data that has alerted the community on high levels of pollution that people were previously not aware of without the monitoring.
Source/publisher:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2019-05-20
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-09
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Children, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children's rights: reports of violations in Burma against more than one ethnic group, Public Health
Language:
English
more
Description:
"In its latest update to its PFM Strategy, MoPF stressed on
the need for transparency of public financial management
system, and encouraged the release of budgetary
information to stakeholders and the public, referring inter
alia to a budget in brief.
The 2018 Education Budget Brief of Myanmar is a joint
initiative of MoE and UNICEF, aiming at supporting the
sector’s efforts to strengthen Public Financial Management
(PFM), drawing a line between the sector’s budgetary
decisions, its financial management and the results
in education. The aim is to encourage transparency and
accountability in the allocation and utilization of resources,
with a view to strengthen the budgetary processes, and
improve the service delivery outcomes.
This initiative was encouraged by the recent scale-up of
UNICEF Public Finance for Children (PF4C) in Myanmar.
PF4C’s overarching goal is to contribute to the realization
of children’s rights by supporting the best possible use
of public budgets. For this purpose, UNICEF will engage
with all relevant stakeholders, establish processes and
deploy a number of tools – amongst which the Budget
Brief was considered the most viable to initiate the work
on education..."
Source/publisher:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2018-02-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.5 MB
more
Description:
Echoing the concerns of UN organisations regarding the escalation of violence and civilian casualties in Rakhine State, UNICEF Myanmar is deeply concerned about reports of killing of children as a result of direct targeting and indirect actions (crossfire, landmines, cluster munitions, improvised explosive devices or other indiscriminate explosive devices), detention and mistreatment of children, as well as the use of schools for military purposes, since the conflict between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army intensified in recent months.
Killing and maiming of children is a grave violation of children’s rights. Civilian infrastructures such as schools and hospitals are not places for the military. Their presence puts children, teachers, doctors and other service providers at risk.
UNICEF urges all parties to the conflict to ensure the safety of children caught up in conflict, and to uphold their right to protection from all forms of violence at all times. UNICEF calls for children to have access to psychosocial support and mine risk education in schools and communities in all conflict-affected areas. We also call on all parties to protect civilian facilities against the impact of conflict.
UNICEF is working with partners to provide assistance to all children in need as quickly as possible, wherever possible. Along with providing life-saving services, UNICEF has pre-positioned essential learning packages, school kits, and recreational kits in UNICEF and Government warehouses in Rakhine State.
UNICEF is also working with partners across Rakhine State to provide much-needed counselling, psychosocial support, and information on the risks of mines to thousands of children, youth and caregivers affected by the conflict. But we need unfettered and predictable access in order to scale up our work so that all children across Rakhine, receive the life-saving assistance, education, care and special protection they need.
Source/publisher:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2019-05-28
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Children, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children's rights: resources and organisations
Language:
English
more
Description:
''The sudden and dramatic infl ux of more than 700,000
Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in the latter part of
2017 wrought terrible environmental damage to a region
that was already battling some of the severest effects of
climatic change.
In the hills south of Cox’s Bazar town, several thousand
acres of forest and vegetation were cleared to make way for
bamboo and tarpaulin camps needed to accommodate the
refugees (more than half of whom are children). The exposed
sandy soil has left them at risk of landslides and fl ash fl ooding,
especially during the monsoon months.
“The woodland and vegetation are essential for stabilizing
the sandy and undulating terrain,” says UNICEF’s Nazzina
Mohsin, who specializes in environmental issues. “Over time,
the loss of so much green cover could also affect the amount
of rainfall the area receives.”
In one corner of the sprawling Kutapalong refugee camp, a
solitary Banyan tree towers above a sea of plastic shelters,
a poignant remnant of the forest that used to dominate the
area.
The coastline of Cox’s Bazar District - whose 120 kilometre
beach is one of the world’s longest - has been under assault
from rising sea levels and salt water intrusion for years. Along
the coastal road leading to the southern town of Teknaf, teams
of labourers are often at work, stacking concrete blocks in an
attempt to hold back the encroaching waves.
Local residents also say weather patterns have noticeably
changed over the years, with shorter winters and warmer
summers. And while the authorities have made efforts to
provide cyclone shelters for the Bangladeshi population,
the shelters are insuffi cient for the needs of the refugee
community during the lengthy monsoon season...''
Source/publisher:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Date of publication:
2019-04-05
Date of entry/update:
2019-04-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Climate Change science - Sea-level rise, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children
Language:
English
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Description:
Executive Summary:
"In 2015, Myanmar wrote new important chapters in its history: the Government and eight ethnic armed groups signed a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), and successfully held elections that saw a landslide victory for the National League for Democracy. Despite progress, children in Myanmar continue to suffer from higher levels of mortality and malnutrition, lower enrolment and completion of primary education; and higher risks to trafficking, labour, violence and recruitment and use by armed forces, than children in the region. In this year?s context, cooperation between Myanmar and UNICEF has been driven by three main considerations: turning policies and plans into changes in children?s lives, as longer-term reforms proceed; responding to humanitarian needs arising from both protracted situations and massive floods and landslides, while further mainstreaming risk reduction into development plans; and placing children at the centre of determining factors for Myanmar?s sustainable development ? peace, social cohesion and human rights. The programme delivered direct results. More than 95 per cent of children 9 months to 15 years old were protected from measles and rubella through vaccination campaigns. In targeted townships, the proportion of children 3?5 years old accessing early childhood facilities doubled between 2014 and 2015, and hundreds of thousands of children benefited from child-centred teaching methodologies applied for the first time by more than 14,000 primary school teachers. Approximately 280,000 children in 27 townships benefited from the first-ever deployment of social case management workers. The proportion of children under 5 registered continued to increase, to reach 79 per cent this year. Releases of children and young people from the armed forces have continued, with an additional 146 released, falling one child short of the 700 mark since the signing of the Joint Action Plan in 2012. Under its four-theme advocacy strategy (children affected by armed conflict; children in Rakhine; public finance for children; and the first 1,000 days), UNICEF contributed to building an environment more supportive of child rights. Parties to NCA committed to protect children in armed conflicts, and negotiations are well advanced towards the signing of an Action Plan with two listed major ethnic armed groups; joint interventions in Kachin and the South-East allowed actors across ethnic lines to deliver better health care and nutrition to children; in the election campaign, the Union Electoral Commission, UNICEF and a coalition of Child Rights organizations convinced political parties to prioritize children. Those who did gained most of the votes, making children a clear winner of these elections. Amid inter-communal and religious tensions, the religious leaders of the four main faiths issued joint calls to respect religious diversity. In Rakhine, UNICEF?s pioneering approach to reach all children through combined humanitarian assistance, development work, promotion of social cohesion, and advocacy against targeted discrimination is now making consensus among international development partners..."
Source/publisher:
United Nations Childrfen?s Fund (UNICEF)
Date of publication:
2016-06-13
Date of entry/update:
2016-09-01
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children
Language:
English
more
Description:
The births of three out of ten under five children in Myanmar have not been officially recorded.
Nay Pyi Taw, 28th July 2014 : A National forum on accelerating birth registration in Myanmar was conducted at Thingaha Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw on 28th July 2014, a joint event between UNICEF and government ministries, to identify strategies for strengthening birth registration for all children in Myanmar.
Birth registration is a critical first step towards the fulfilment of a whole range of children?s rights including entitlement to services such as health and education. Knowing the age of a person is central to protecting children from labour, forcible conscription in armed forces, child marriage and trafficking, and for ensuring they are dealt with appropriately by the justice system. A birth certificate may support the tracing and repatriation of children who are trafficked. All such issues are highly relevant to Myanmar.
Date of entry/update:
2014-10-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)
Language:
English, Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ
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