Joint Arab Statement Says Crimes Against Childhood and Humanity in Gaza, Stain on Int. Community

Cairo, The Secretariat General of the Arab League, the Arab Labor Organization, and the Arab Council for Childhood and Development (ACCD) affirmed that the crimes committed against childhood and humanity in the Gaza Strip constitute a stain in the record of the international community and human rights organizations. This came in a joint statement issued by the three bodies on Tuesday, on the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labor, observed annually on June 12, adopted by the United Nations back in 2002. The statement referred to the announcement made by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in the Gaza Strip regarding the death of around 13,500 Gazan children, nearly 1.9 million people, half of whom are children, not having sufficient access to water, food, fuel, and medicine, along with with the fact that Gaza's children's homes have been destroyed and their families scattered, leaving them before a grim reality for decades to come; a situation that will inevitably drive Gaza's children to see k child labor, seeking survival and livelihood for themselves and their families. The statement reaffirmed the three bodies' full commitment and mission to protect and promote the rights of children in the Arab region, particularly working children, raising the issue to decision-makers and relevant entities, urging them to take immediate and effective measures to curb and eliminate child labor. Source: Qatar News Agency