Pacific's children most vulnerable to social crisis [1]
Thursday, September 4, 2014 - 17:15. Updated on Thursday, September 4, 2014 - 21:46.
One in three Pacific children under the age of five are stunted, UNICEF's Olav Kjorven, told the Small Islands Developing States conference in Samoa this week.
“Under nutrition early in life contributes directly to a propensity for obesity in adulthood. We need to address both sides of this issue. It's a fundamental human development issue, critical to Social and economic development,” he said in a statement to the dialogue on social inclusion, non-communicable diseases, youth and gender on September 2.
Kjorven, the Director of Public Partnerships, of the United Nations Children’s Fund stated that small islands states are facing major challenges in social development. They are challenges that increasingly intertwine with the climate challenge.
“In so many ways, children are the epicenter of the challenges. Four quick facts, with a focus on the Pacific:
- One in three Pacific children under five are stunted. Under nutrition early in life contributes directly to a propensity for obesity in adulthood. We need to address both sides of this issue. It's a fundamental human development issue, critical to Social and economic development.
- Violence against children and women is pervasive. 70 percent or adults use violent punishment against children. Again, this does real damage to social and economic development.
- 80 percent of increased disease burden due to climate change will fall on children.
- And a fact much ignored: climate change and disasters are taking a heavy toll on education, shutting down schools, keeping kids, and often teachers, out of schools.
“Taken together, this has the makings of a downward spiral. This could become a massive social development crisis,” he warned.
Kjorven stated that UNICEF is deeply involved in combatting the nutrition and violence challenges together with SIDS. “We are committed to continue this. We urge all SIDS governments to prioritize these issues and partners to scale up support to the SIDS in these two areas. We have registered our commitments, including in the area of violence and focused on the Pacific, partnership number 2808. We are grateful for the support from Australia.
“But so far we have not sufficiently connected the dots, in particular between the social/health challenges and the impact of climate change and disasters on children. ...Disasters are now draining money from budgets that should be investing in early childhood development, education, health. This makes combatting violence much more difficult as well,” he said.
He said UNICEF was committed to work with SIDS and partners “to come up with a more powerful, more integrated response that recognizes children as the most vulnerable.”
“UNICEF is here to support SIDS in building, transforming and expanding the partnerships that can make a difference,” he stated.