Tag: UNICEF

  • Over 16,000 children born in Pakistan on New Year’s Day

    Over 16,000 children born in Pakistan on New Year’s Day

    The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) shared that an estimated 16,787 babies would be born in Pakistan on New Year’s Day.

    According to a statement by UNICEF, “Pakistani babies will account for 4.28% of the estimated 392,078 babies to be born on New Year’s Day.”

    Each
    January, UNICEF celebrates babies born on New Year’s Day, which is considered
    to be a lucky time for childbirth around the world.

    However, UNICEF reported that in 2018, 2.5 million newborns died before reaching one month old, around a third of them on the first day of life.

    “In 2018, 2.5 million newborns died in just their first month of  life. Among those children, most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis. In addition, more than 2.5 million babies are born dead each year,” UNICEF said.

    According
    to the UN Agency, the world has seen amazing progress in child survival over
    the past three decades, lessening the number of children worldwide who die
    before their fifth birthday by more than half.

  • UN responds to demands, says ‘Priyanka has right to speak in personal capacity’

    UN responds to demands, says ‘Priyanka has right to speak in personal capacity’

    The United Nations (UN) has responded to Pakistani demands seeking the removal of Indian actor Priyanka Chopra as United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) goodwill ambassador for peace.

    According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s spokesperson, when UNICEF goodwill ambassadors speak in their personal capacity, “they retain the right to speak about issues that interest or concern them”.

    “Their personal views or actions do not necessarily reflect those of UNICEF,” he said, adding, “When they speak on behalf of the UNICEF, we expect them to adhere to UNICEF’s evidence-based impartial positions.”

    Antonio remarked that UNICEF goodwill ambassadors are prominent individuals who have agreed to generously volunteer their time and their public profile to promote children’s rights.

    The development comes after Pakistanis, including Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari, demanded that Priyanka be removed by the UN over a February tweet amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and India.

    The tweet had come a day before Indian fighter jets crossed into Pakistani territory, conducting air raids that resulted in an escalation in hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

    The campaign against Priyanka had started after she was asked to comment on her tweet at a conference in Los Angeles by a Pakistani girl, to which she had responded harshly, inviting criticism from all-around.

    Mazari had last week also lodged an official complaint with the UN, demanding Chopra’s removal over her “support for war”.

  • ‘Remove Priyanka Chopra as goodwill ambassador,’ Mazari writes to UNICEF director

    ‘Remove Priyanka Chopra as goodwill ambassador,’ Mazari writes to UNICEF director

    Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari has written to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Henrietta Fore regarding the Priyanka Chopra controversy.

    As per the details, Dr Mazari has asked Fore to remove the Indian actor as UN’s Goodwill Ambassador for Peace as she has “made a mockery of the title” by supporting the Modi government’s unlawful actions in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK), besides “supporting a nuclear war”.

    Chopra had come under fire for her patronising and dismissive comments when asked by a Pakistani-American activist Ayesha Malik about her support for war with Pakistan.