Posted on 04/05/2002 3:19:15 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
| Palestinian children's day scrapped as war rages | |
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JERUSALEM, April 5 (Reuters) - Palestinian children's day
celebrations due to be held across the West Bank and Gaza on
Friday have been cancelled because children in many Palestinian
towns cannot leave their homes, the United Nations said.
The National Plan of Action for Palestinian Children, with
the support of the U.N. children's fund (UNICEF), had planned to
stage plays and hold arts and craft activities across the area
for almost a million Palestinians aged 6-18 years.
But a UNICEF statement said about 600,000 children below 18
were stuck at home because of curfews or Israeli military action
in West Bank towns and cities such as Ramallah, Bethlehem,
Tulkarm, Qalqiliya, Nablus and Jenin.
"UNICEF regrets the cancellation of this important occasion
and reiterates its call on the Israeli and Palestinian
authorities to respect international law...and protect the
rights and livelihoods of children exposed to the current
conflict," it said.
The statement added children were unable to access health
and education facilities and had fewer prospects to play and
socialise.
Fighting in the more than 18-month-old Palestinian uprising
against Israeli occupation has reached a new tempo since Israeli
forces launched a military offensive across the West Bank a week
ago to try to end a spate of Palestinian suicide bombings.
Inside Israel, parents' groups worried by the suicide
attacks have threatened not to send children back to school
after the Jewish Passover holiday unless extra security is
provided, newspapers reported.
((Jerusalem newsroom, 972-2-537-0502,
jerusalem.newsroom@reuters.com))
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