16 Million Babies Were Born in Conflict Zones This Year
16 Million Babies Were Born in Conflict Zones This Year
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Julie Akol, 17, delivered her first born baby boy in the UNICEF supported IMC clinic in Malakal, South Sudan. Her baby was born healthy, weighing three kilograms. About forty minutes after Julie delivered her son, she was advised on how to breastfeed and recieved help from a midwife to feed her son for the first time. "I am happy I have delivered my son in the clinic, my child will be vaccinated and they will advise me on how to care for him," says Julie. "My husband is still in Wau Shilluk and I don't know when I will see him. It is safer for us here, so I will stay in the PoC until there is peace and we all can go home without fear."Sebastian Rich—UNICEF
The data counts births in countries containing conflict, such as South Sudan, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, or that occur as migrants travel to escape conflict zones. The U.N. organization released the photos above along with the updated data, to show the conditions children born into conflict experience.
“Every two seconds, a newborn takes its first breath in the midst of conflict, often in terrifying circumstances and without access to medical care,” Executive Director Anthony Lake said in a statement. “Too many children are now starting their lives in extreme circumstances—from conflict to natural disasters, poverty, disease or malnutrition. Can there be a worse start in life?”
More than 200,000 children applied for asylum to E.U. countries between January and September of 2015, according to UNICEF.
A woman holds a small child as she queues at the reception centre for refugees and migrants in the town of Presevo, Serbia, close to the border of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on Oct. 5 2015.Ashley Gilbertson—VII/UNICEFJamal Majati carries his sleeping 1-month-old son, Youssef, in a cloth basket while walking with his wife, Nour, and their 11-year-old son Mohammad across a muddy field in the village of Tabanovce, on the border with Serbia on Nov. 28, 2015. The couple and their four children are making their way to the Serbian border after arriving in the village by train. They fled the Syrian city of Halab following bombing attacks on their home by government allies after Mr. Majati joined the opposition during the escalating conflict. The family initially found refuge in a nearby town but were forced to leave the country altogether after that town was overrun by ISIS. Mrs. Majati, who was pregnant with Youssef at the time, gave birth via a Caesarean section operation just before they fled. Her surgical wound opened during the long, arduous journey: overland in Turkey, by sea to Greece, and overland again, walking for days towards Central Europe. She was forced to let the wound heal on its own, and although it eventually stopped bleeding, it remains very painful. Her body is also swollen, and it takes her twice as long to walk anywhere. She is often also sick as a result of the cold weather, which she believes is making Youssef, whom she breastfeeds, ill as well. "The help that we received throughout the journey showed me that there is still a little hope," she said. The family visited a UNICEF child-friendly space in the village, where they dressed their children in warm clothes provided by an aid group and also received soup, before continuing their journey north.Ashley Gilbertson—VII/UNICEFAsylum-seekers from the Syrian Arab Republic, including a crying infant, begin to disembark a large raft as they arrive on the shores of the island of Lesbos, in the North Aegean region on Sept. 14, 2015.Alessio Romenzi—UNICEFThis infant and his family were forced to leave their homes in Aleppo, fleeing the war. The family has been displaced ten times since. Currently they live in an unfinished building in Al Ghizlanieh, Rural Damascus sharing a small room .Omar Sanadiki—UNICEFJulie Akol, 17, delivered her first born baby boy in the UNICEF supported IMC clinic in Malakal, South Sudan. Her baby was born healthy, weighing three kilograms. About forty minutes after Julie delivered her son, she was advised on how to breastfeed and recieved help from a midwife to feed her son for the first time. "I am happy I have delivered my son in the clinic, my child will be vaccinated and they will advise me on how to care for him," says Julie. "My husband is still in Wau Shilluk and I don't know when I will see him. It is safer for us here, so I will stay in the PoC until there is peace and we all can go home without fear."Sebastian Rich—UNICEFAnother image of Julie Akol's newborn son delivered in the UNICEF supported IMC clinic in Malakal, South Sudan.Sebastian Rich—UNICEFWalking through snow, a woman carries an infant in refugee camp number 29, in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon on Jan. 8, 2015.Alessio Romenzi—UNICEFSeated on the wet, rocky ground, a woman holds an infant on a rainy day, near the town of Gevgelija, on the border with Greece on Sept. 10, 2015. Others who have fled their homes amid the ongoing refugee and migrant crisis are nearby.Tomislav Georgiev—UNICEFYasmin sultani, 4 months old, sleeps while her sister, Shimafrutan sultani,16, from Parwan, Afghanistan, checks on her at an emergency shelter in Vienna, Austria on Dec. 5, 2015. Vienna's refugee housing is at capacity, and volunteers have been forced to fill the gap to support those arriving with nowhere to stay.Ashley Gilbertson—VII/UNICEFA baby sleeps under a blanket at the reception centre for refugees and migrants, in the town of Šid, on the border with Croatia. The reception centre provides access to support services and offers refugee and migrant children and families the opportunity to rest during their arduous journey.Shubuckl—UNICEF
