Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – Today, 20 November, International Children’s day and the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children, and Youth in the World are celebrated around the world.
According to data published by various international NGOs, all over the world there are 150 million street children and about 223 million victims of sexual abuse. At least 18,000 children under 5 die every day from preventable causes, such as pneumonia, diarrhea or measles, which could be prevented with vaccines, health care, access to clean water or food. Another phenomenon that affects these innocent victims is that of orphans, abandoned children or thrown out of their home because there is no sufficient food for all and end up rummaging through the trash, steal and take drugs. The NGO Global Humanitaria, promoter of the project 'Protect', that denounces pedophiles and protects their victims, focuses on sexual violence, both concerning abuse and child exploitation around the world.
On this occasion the NGO denounced sex tourism, recruitment or abduction of children, and pointed out that according to data from the International Labour Organization, 1 million and 800 thousand are victims of adults. At the moment the attention is particularly focused on emergencies regarding Syria and the Philippines. The first because of a war which has been going on for nearly three years involving more than 4 million children living on humanitarian aid. The other devastated by Typhoon Hayan that has put in serious risk 4 million and 600 thousand children. According to UNICEF, although in the last 22 years (1990-2012) the infant mortality rate has been reduced by 47%, even today millions of children live under severe difficulties, particularly in contexts of extreme poverty where there is no kind of assistance. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 20/11/2013)
