15 Apr 2015

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Nickolay Mladenov. UN Photo/Amanda Voisard

New UN envoy meets with Palestinian Prime Minister on Gaza

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process has said the UN remains committed to supporting the reconstruction of Gaza.

For the first time since his appointment, Nickolay Mladenov met with Palestinian Prime Minister Hamdallah and discussed border crossing into Gaza.

A 50-day conflict which started last July between Israel and the Palestinian faction, Hamas led to the deaths of 2000 Palestinians and 70 Israelis as well as widespread destruction of property.

Call for action in Doha to fight violence against children

Violence against children is a widespread phenomenon against which the international community must act with urgency.

This message was shared by panellists attending the 13th Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Doha, Qatar.

This included Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidhol, who said millions of children are victims worldwide and are susceptible to secondary victimization when they come in contact with the justice system.

“A majority of this violence remains hidden due to fear, societal acceptance of violence and the lack of safe and trusted ways in which both, children and adult can report it”.

21 million children in the Middle East region risk not getting education

Despite impressive progress in raising school enrolment over the past decade, one in every four children and young adolescents in the Middle East and North Africa are either out of school or at risk of dropping out.

That’s according to a joint report from the UN Children’s Fund and the UN cultural agency, UNESCO.

It says that at a time of such change and turmoil, this region cannot afford to let 21 million children fall by the wayside, and governments need to urgently scale up their efforts.

Stephanie Coutrix, United Nations.

Duration: 1’46″