PRO ASYL Press Release
4. April 2003
April 5th: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 11 years in force
PRO ASYLUM demands more efforts of the Federal Government for Iraqi children:
To Use UN instruments – Already 4-years old children suffer from war nightmares
- 5. April: Kinderrechtskonvention 11 Jahre in Kraft
PRO ASYL fordert aktiveren Einsatz der Bundesregierung für irakische Kinder:
UN-Instrumentarien nutzen – Schon 4-jährige leiden unter Kriegsalpträumen - April 5th: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 11 years in force
PRO ASYLUM demands more efforts of the Federal Government for Iraqi children:
To Use UN instruments – Already 4-years old children suffer from war nightmares
INFO
(partially translated)
This is a machine translation by the IBM-supported PERSONAL TRANSLATOR plus. It is slightly edited by combining its results with the translation of SYSTRAN. But you should not rely on it. If you want to use a translated text append or reference the original text.
On the occasion of the anniversary of the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (April 5th, 1992) the German Human Rights Organisation for Refugees PRO ASYL appeals to the Federal Government, to support more actively surviving and humanitarian interests of the Iraqi children.
„Besides the current threat by illness, hunger and bombs the emotional traumatisation of a whole generation of children is a disaster, which already happened, having long-term effect,“ said PRO ASYL board member Mr. Heiko Kauffmann. The 13 million children in Iraq, of which many by the results of the war of 1991, by economic sanctions and privations lasting for years are weakened anyway and heavily impaired mentally and physically, will not have any future worth living without extraordinary efforts and help. PRO ASYL refers to the shattering results of UNICEF and IPPNW fact findings (IPPNW is a non-partisan global federation of medical organizations dedicated to research, education, and advocacy relevant to the prevention of nuclear war.) about the devastating physical and emotional situation of Iraqi children: an alarming infant mortality and death rate of children less than 5 years; many four-years old ones suffer from war nightmares; 40% of the children don’t believe in a life worth living any more.
In front of this background PRO ASYL demands the strict safeguarding of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as all recommendations and measures resulting from it. In addition the Heads of States and Governments have to keep their promises given on the UN World Summit for Children 1990, „to work carefully, that children are protected from the scourge of the war.“ In item 8 of the urgency program of the “World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children.“ agreed at that time is said: „We ask that periods of tranquillity and special relief corridors be observed for the benefit of children, where war and violence are still taking place”.
This is a concrete demand, to be addressed to the war parties by the Federal Government and the governments of other states.
