UNICEF denounces the death of 1,600 children in the Coup

UNICEF denounces the death of 1,600 children during the Coup

5 hours 48 mins ago

The UN Fund for Children (UNICEF) reported on Wednesday at least 1,600 children under five in Honduras killed  since the coup last June 28 in the Central American country and has documented the repression of at least 79 children and adolescents during the coup who have suffered severe violations of their fundamental rights.

Continue reading the printed article

UNICEF report all violations to the rights of children between late June and September 2009 to  to at least 79 minors have been executed, received death threats, cruel treatment, have received serious injuries, beatings and gunshot wounds or have suffered harassment and  military polycyclicpersecution  and have suffered illegal detention and abusive use of force by security forces under the 'de facto' government  installed in Honduras after the coup, UNICEF denounced in a statement ."Given the current circumstances Honduras who lives in the short term there is no clear improvement in the situation of helplessness experienced by children, adolescents and youth of this country, so it is essential that the international community to continue developing and support all efforts to prevent rape and ensure compliance with human rights, warned Wednesday UNICEF representative in Honduras, Sergio Guimaraes, in a statement.

Guimaraes also complained Wednesday that "social services are not functioning, the healthcare system is collapsing and there are difficulties with payments and supplies. "The mother and baby units of the major public hospitals and overstretched to meet the demands of health care services, whose performance threatens to collapse," he said in the statement.

In addition, the UN agency that oversees the protection of minors also claims that over 1.8 million children of school age have virtually lost this year due to the suspension of classes following the coup.

"This silent emergency, which has structural and chronic causes, is exacerbated by violations directly related to the current situation in the country, UNICEF concluded in the statement.

UNICEF pointed to both the Government 'de facto' Roberto Micheletti led the army in Honduras as their obligation to respect the Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by the Government of Tegucigalpa, while regretting that coflicto situations, children whoever they finally paid the highest price.