Children are at extremely high risk of the impacts of the month-long heatwave in the country.   Sheldon Yett, UNICEF representative in Bangladesh, said in a statement on Wednesday (April 24). At the same time, he urged parents to take extra precautions to protect and keep their children safe from dehydration in the current situation. 'Now is the time to take urgent action to protect children from the ongoing heatwave, as well as the further impacts of climate change,' Sheldon Yett said in a statement.  UNICEF says children in Bangladesh are at 'extremely high risk' from the impacts of climate change. The extreme temperature poses a serious risk to children. Especially for newborns young children. Children are more susceptible to illnesses caused by high temperatures, such as heat stroke and dehydration diarrhoea. Heatwave has been sweeping across the country since the beginning of this month. Initially, there was a mild to moderate heat wave, but gradually it became severe to very severe. April is the hottest month of the year; However, this month is spreading much hotter than any other year. Public life is gasping for rain in unbearable heat.

Children are dying of starvation in northern Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief says. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency's visits over the weekend to the Al-Awda and Kamal Adwan hospitals were the first since early October. In a post on social media, he spoke of "grim findings". A lack of food resulted in the deaths of 10 children and "severe levels of malnutrition", while hospital buildings have been destroyed, he wrote. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported on Sunday that at least 15 children had died from malnutrition and dehydration at the Kamal Adwan hospital. A sixteenth child died on Sunday at a hospital in the southern city of Rafah, the Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported on Monday. Dr Tedros reported "severe levels of malnutrition, children dying of starvation, serious shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies, hospital buildings destroyed" in northern Gaza, where an estimated 300,000 people are living with little food or clean water. "The lack of food resulted in the deaths of 10 children," he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The visits were the WHO's first in months "despite our efforts to gain more regular access to the north of Gaza", he wrote. "The situation at Al-Awda Hospital is particularly appalling, as one of the buildings is destroyed," he added. The UN warned last week that famine in Gaza was "almost inevitable". A senior UN aid official warned that at least 576,000 people across the Gaza Strip - one quarter of the population - faced catastrophic levels of food insecurity and one in six children under the age of two in the north were suffering from acute malnutrition. And the regional director of the UN's children's agency, Unicef, said "the child deaths we feared are here, as malnutrition ravages the Gaza Strip". "These tragic and horrific deaths are man-made, predictable and entirely preventable," Adele Khodr said in a statement on Sunday. On Saturday, the US a launched its first airdrop of humanitarian aid into Gaza - including more than 38,000 meals. However, aid agencies have said these drops - which have also previously been carried out by the UK, France, Egypt and Jordan - are an inefficient way of getting supplies to people. The deliveries themselves have sometimes turned deadly. Last week, at least 112 Palestinians were reportedly killed when large crowds descended on lorries carrying aid while Israeli tanks were present. Israel said the tanks fired warning shots but did not strike the lorries and that many of the dead were trampled or run over. But this has been disputed by Hamas, which said there was "undeniable" evidence of "direct firing at citizens". Some aid agencies have been facing difficulties with the authorities. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN's main human rights agency in the Gaza Strip, UNRWA, on Monday accused the Israeli government of trying to "eliminate" its presence in Gaza. Israel has long accused different branches of the United Nations, including Unrwa, of bias and even of antisemitism. Several western countries, including the UK, have paused funding to UNRWA after Israel accused some staff of roles in the 7 October attacks. Mr Lazzarini said that this was not just in response to "neutrality breaches of some of the staff" but had a wider political motive, which included plans to "eliminate the status of refugees and make sure that this is not part of a final political settlement". He added that dismantling his organisation would lead to the collapse of the entire humanitarian response on Gaza. The Israeli military launched a large-scale air and ground campaign to destroy Hamas - which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK, US and others - after the group's gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on 7 October and took 253 back to Gaza as hostages. More than 30,500 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry.   Source: BBC

A mother has allegedly committed suicide by strangling her two children with a pillow at Komalpur village, in Dumuria upazila of Khulna district. The tragic incident occurred on Saturday (Jan 27) around 2 pm, said Khulna’s Additional Superintendent of Police Asif Iqbal. The deceased were identified as Doly Begum, 38, wife of Mannan Sarder, a resident of Kamalpur village in the upazila, and her two children---six-year-old daughter Fatema and seven-month-old son Omar. Following this horrifying act, she committed suicide by hanging herself at home.   Upon receiving the information, the police went to the scene, recovered the bodies, and transported them to the Dumuria Upazila Health Complex. Officer in-charge of Dumuria Police Station Sukanta Saha said being informed police recovered the bodies and sent those to a morgue for autopsy. He said police suspected that Doly might have killed her children before committing suicide between 8am and 11am over family feud.  

According to a report from the Road Safety Foundation, over 1,128 children were in road accidents across the country in 2023. More than 17% of the total casualties were children. The organization revealed the information at a press conference at its Dhanmondi office on Saturday (Jan 27).   Besides, at least 6,524 people were killed and 11,407 injured in 6,911 road crashes last year. Last year, the number of accidents in the country increased compared to the previous year, but the number of deaths decreased. The number of child deaths due to accidents has also decreased slightly compared to the previous year. Of the deceased, 974 were women which is around 15% of the total casualties.

Islamabad has condemned the "unprovoked violation" of its airspace after an Iranian attack killed two children and injured three people. Iran says it struck a Sunni militant group. Iran claimed it struck bases belonging to Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group in Pakistan, in a cross-border attack Tuesday. It comes after Iran launched similar attacks on Syria and Iraq over the past several days.   What do we know about the reported Iranian attacks on Pakistan? Iranian state media reported that drones and missiles were used in the operation. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry confirmed the attack, condemning it as an "unprovoked violation" of its airspace. It said that two children were killed in the incident and three people injured. "This violation of Pakistan's sovereignty is completely unacceptable and could have serious consequences," a Foreign Ministry statement read.   Why is there tension between Pakistan and Iran? Beyond fears that the incident could further inflame the already tense situation growing around the conflict in Gaza, it rings ominous for relations between nuclear-armed Pakistan and nuclear-ambitious Iran. The two have long eyed one another warily while at the same time seeking to maintain diplomatic relations. Though Iran has engaged Jaish al-Adl militants in border skirmishes in the past, the execution of cross-border missile attacks had never taken place.

"Dad time" is essential to a child's overall development—it's not just a luxury. Good father-child interactions have a lasting effect on a child, influencing not just their early years but also their future relationships, careers, and general well-being. Fathers play an enormously important role in a child's life, helping them develop emotionally, socially, and cognitively. "Dad time" is more than just being there; it's about having meaningful conversations and doing things together that have a long-lasting effect on a child's development.   Reasons why it's important to spend time with a father: 1. ​​Improved academic achievement​ Academic achievement is favorably correlated with parental involvement in a child's schooling. Cooperative reading, helping with schoolwork, and stimulating conversations all support the development of cognition. 2. ​​Exemplary role modeling​ Fathers act as role models for their children, influencing their attitudes, actions, and morals. Fathers who spend meaningful time with their children can model moral values and important life skills for their children. 3. Connection on an emotional level​ A strong emotional tie is fostered by father-child bonding. Playing together gives the youngster a sense of safety and acceptance, which strengthens their emotional fortitude.   4. ​Increasing self-assurance​ Children can safely explore their powers in the company of their fathers. Children's confidence and self-esteem are bolstered by positive reinforcement, constructive criticism, and the sharing of accomplishments.   5. ​​Developing social skills​ Children acquire vital social skills like cooperation, communication, and dispute resolution through shared activities. Social connections between father and kid support social behavior that is in line with social norms.   6. ​​Promoting self-reliance​ Spending quality time with fathers requires striking a balance between promoting independence and offering assistance. When it comes to giving their kids a feeling of accountability and independence, fathers are extremely important. Source: Times of India  

National Daughters Day is being celebrated in Bangladesh on September 30.  President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today their love and sincere affection to all children, specially the girls, on the occasion today. BSS Reports The National Daughters Day is observed every year in the country on September 30 to show the importance of daughters. This year's theme of the day is 'Investment Priority, Daughter's Rights' (Biniyogey Ogradhikar, Konya Shishur Odhikar). In separate messages on the eve of the day, they wished the overall successes of all programmes taken marking the day. In his message, President Mohammed Shahabuddin said due to various government and private measures, the rate of child marriage and taking-dowry has decreased along with the increase in the female education rate in the country. The head of the state added that the girls' participation in sports and cultural activities is an enviable success now-a-days. Besides, they are taking the country forward by performing their duties competently in various fields and, as a result, Bangladesh is now a role model for the world in terms of gender equality. The President believed that investing on girl-child will be the right investment in the coming days as today's girl child will be able to build an educated family alongside developing her child worthy enough for leading the future world. "In developing the successful leadership of the smart Bangladesh of the future, we will be more diligent in protecting the rights of girls," Shahabuddin hoped. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said the Awami League (AL)-led government has been maintaining the continuity of development with great success for the last 14 and a half years. Along with the development of the country's education, health and infrastructure, the government is working relentlessly for the development of women and girls, the premier added. In the national budget of the fiscal year 2023-24, the amount of gender-related allocation is Taka 2 lakh 61 thousand 787 crores, which is 34.37 percent of the total budget and 5.23 percent of the GDP, she continued. She said the national budget has formulated separate gender budgets for 27 ministries and 17 departments, which will be used to protect the overall rights of women and girls. The premier believed that investment needs to be increased for the flourishing of the girl child at every stage of development. Then they will become competent and efficient citizens and will be able to make a more important contribution in building a prosperous 'Smart' Bangladesh' in the future, she hoped.

National Daughters Day is being celebrated in Bangladesh on September 30.  President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today their love and sincere affection to all children, specially the girls, on the occasion today. BSS Reports The National Daughters Day is observed every year in the country on September 30 to show the importance of daughters. This year's theme of the day is 'Investment Priority, Daughter's Rights' (Biniyogey Ogradhikar, Konya Shishur Odhikar). In separate messages on the eve of the day, they wished the overall successes of all programmes taken marking the day. In his message, President Mohammed Shahabuddin said due to various government and private measures, the rate of child marriage and taking-dowry has decreased along with the increase in the female education rate in the country. The head of the state added that the girls' participation in sports and cultural activities is an enviable success now-a-days. Besides, they are taking the country forward by performing their duties competently in various fields and, as a result, Bangladesh is now a role model for the world in terms of gender equality. The President believed that investing on girl-child will be the right investment in the coming days as today's girl child will be able to build an educated family alongside developing her child worthy enough for leading the future world. "In developing the successful leadership of the smart Bangladesh of the future, we will be more diligent in protecting the rights of girls," Shahabuddin hoped. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said the Awami League (AL)-led government has been maintaining the continuity of development with great success for the last 14 and a half years. Along with the development of the country's education, health and infrastructure, the government is working relentlessly for the development of women and girls, the premier added. In the national budget of the fiscal year 2023-24, the amount of gender-related allocation is Taka 2 lakh 61 thousand 787 crores, which is 34.37 percent of the total budget and 5.23 percent of the GDP, she continued. She said the national budget has formulated separate gender budgets for 27 ministries and 17 departments, which will be used to protect the overall rights of women and girls. The premier believed that investment needs to be increased for the flourishing of the girl child at every stage of development. Then they will become competent and efficient citizens and will be able to make a more important contribution in building a prosperous 'Smart' Bangladesh' in the future, she hoped.

Four indigenous children who survived 40 days in the Colombian Amazon after a plane crash have been released from the hospital, authorities said on Friday. After a monthlong treatment, the siblings were doing "very well," the director of the country's Family Welfare Institute told journalists. "They are actually very well," director Astrid Caceres said, adding the children had all gained weight. Lesly, 13, Soleiny, 9, Tien Noriel, 5,  and Cristin, 1, were the only survivors after the small plane they were passengers in crashed in the jungle.  Their mother and two other adults died in the incident.  Understanding of the forests helped the kids survive The four children who were rescued currently showed no physical effects from the 40 days they spent in the Amazon, Caceres said. She added, even little Cristin is "completely recovered in terms of physical development." Officials and relatives praised the Indigenous children's knowledge of the jungle and Lesly's courage for their survival in the jungle with its many inherent dangers — including snakes, predatory animals and armed criminal groups.  It took around 200 military and Indigenous rescuers with search and rescue dogs to track them down. They were rescued on June 9 and taken to a military hospital in Bogota for treatment.  The Family Welfare Institute will temporarily take custody of the children because of a "complex family situation" that has seen a custody dispute between the two younger children's father and their maternal grandparents.

Over 2.3 billion people didn’t have constant access to food last year, as many as 783 million faced hunger and 148 million children suffered from stunted growth. Five U.N. agencies said on the report of State of Food Security and Nutrition 2023, the U.N. delivered grim news on Wednesday. While the global hunger numbers stalled between 2021 and 2022 many places are facing deepening food crises. They pointed to Western Asia, the Caribbean and Africa, where 20% of the continent’s population is experiencing hunger, more than twice the global average. Qu Dongyu, director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization said, “Recovery from the global pandemic has been uneven, and the war in Ukraine has affected the nutritious food and healthy diets,”  FAO chief economist Maximo Torero said the FAO food price index has been declining for about 15 months, but “food inflation has continued.” But he said not knowing if the deal that has enabled Ukraine to ship 32 metric tons of grain to world markets and is trying to overcome obstacles to Russian grain and fertilizer shipments will be renewed when it expires on July 17 “is not good for the markets.” If it isn’t renewed immediately “you will have a new spike for sure” in food prices, but how much and for how long will depend on how markets respond, he said. According to the report, people’s access to healthy diets has deteriorated across the world. More than 3.1 billion people – 42% of the global population – were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2021, an increase of 134 million people compared to 2019, it said. Torero told a news conference launching the report that reducing the number of people eating unhealthy diets “is a big challenge, because it’s basically telling us that we have substantially to change the way we use our resources in the agricultural sector, in the agri-food system.” According to the latest research, he said, between 691 million and 783 million people were chronically undernourished in 2022, an average of 735 million which is 122 million more people than in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Source: UNB