{"id":83337,"date":"2016-12-05T12:00:16","date_gmt":"2016-12-05T12:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=83337"},"modified":"2016-11-23T13:10:02","modified_gmt":"2016-11-23T13:10:02","slug":"children-of-the-others-sons-of-minor-gods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2016\/12\/children-of-the-others-sons-of-minor-gods\/","title":{"rendered":"Children of the \u2018Others\u2019, Sons of Minor Gods"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"baher-kamal\"<\/a>In December 1946, \u201cfaced with the reality of millions of children suffering daily deprivation in Europe after World War II,\u201d the General Assembly of the United Nations created the UN International Children\u2019s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), to mount urgent relief programmes.<\/p>\n

In keeping with the ethos of the United Nations, UNICEF<\/a>\u2019s mandate was\u2014and still is, to provide aid \u201cwithout discrimination due to race, creed, nationality, status or political belief.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is so that the sole condition made by Maurice Pate upon his appointment as the organisation\u2019s first Executive Director was \u201cthat it include all children\u201d from both Allied and \u201cex-enemy countries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seventy years later, as Europe copes with a refugee crisis not seen since it was founded, the organisation remains an ever-present advocate for children\u2019s rights, UNICEF reminds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is uniquely positioned among humanitarian and development agencies to respond not only to the needs of children displaced by disaster and armed conflict, but also to work for a better future for all children.\u201d<\/p>\n

And in spite of the growing shortages of funds to the United Nations system at large, this New York-based organisation strives to alleviate the huge suffering of hundreds of millions of children trapped in wars, violence, abuse, exploitation, smuggling, sexual violations, trade of vital organs and death.<\/p>\n

UNICEF believes that there is hope for every child. \u201cThe conviction that every child is born with the same inalienable right to a healthy, safe childhood is a constant threat through the history of the organisation. Its continued viability depends on applying past lessons learned to the challenges ahead, and harnessing the power of innovation to solve tomorrow\u2019s problems. \u201c<\/p>\n

As envisioned by current executive director Anthony Lake, this will require a \u201cwillingness to adapt and find new ways to realise the rights and brighten the futures of the most disadvantaged children around the world.\u201d \u201cUNICEF understands that the spiral of poverty, disease and hunger stifles global development and leads to violations of children\u2019s human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Children<\/a>

Children and adults fleeing from ISIL-controlled areas in rural Raqqa. More than 5,000 people have fled their homes over the past week to escape the fighting. \u00a9 UNICEF\/UN039551\/Soulaiman<\/p><\/div>\n

So far, so good. But not enough. Recent facts show the increasingly dramatic situation children face worldwide. UNICEF\u2019s Statistics and Monitoring<\/a> report mentioned in July this year, some key findings:<\/p>\n