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RTÉ News
a day ago
- General
- RTÉ News
'Not a shred of evidence' Hamas withholding aid in Gaza- UNICEF
There is "not a shred of evidence" that aid in Gaza is being withheld by Hamas, according to Executive Director at UNICEF Ireland Peter Power. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said that aid organisations "were not in the business of giving humanitarian assistance to terrorists". "I think that trope has been widely debunked at this stage; it's simply not true. Not a shred of evidence has been produced to back that up," he said. Mr Power said UN agencies and other trusted humanitarian organisations have been doing this for around 80 years now and are guided by the "highest principles of humanitarian delivery." "They're not in the business of giving food or other humanitarian assistance to terrorists, and the all the briefings I've received from our own people it tells me, definitively, that that has not happened and that sort of accusation should not be made." He added that 5,000 children in Gaza were severely malnourished and at risk of dying. "In Gaza City, where I've visited, 16.3% of the children are severely acutely malnourished. When a child is severely acutely malnourished, they're at real risk of dying," he said. "We have diagnosed 5,000 children in that category who need urgent medical assistance, but there are hundreds of thousands or more, of course, who are malnourished." Every day, 200 children present at their malnutrition centres with acute malnutrition, he said. Mr Power described the aid airdrops into Gaza as "tokenistic", as it was far short of what was required. "Obviously, any aid whatsoever is welcome. But I should say that airdrops are really tokenistic. "Each parachute can only drop one or two pallets, and a number of pallets would fill a truck. "We need 500 trucks a day, that's what the United Nations system was bringing in during the ceasefire." Man-made starvation crisis Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya yesterday, hoping to secure a bag of flour or some aid, amid worsening humanitarian conditions. A global hunger monitor said yesterday that a famine scenario was unfolding in Gaza, with malnutrition soaring, children under five dying of hunger-related causes and humanitarian access severely restricted. The alert by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) raised the prospect that the man-made starvation crisis in Gaza could be formally classified as a famine, in the hope that this might raise the pressure on Israel to let in far more food. With the international furore over Gaza's ordeal growing, Israel announced steps over the weekend to ease aid access. But the UN World Food Programme said yesterday it was not getting the permissions it needed to deliver enough aid since Israel began humanitarian pauses in warfare on Sunday. Gaza health authorities have been reporting more and more people dying from hunger-related causes. The total stands at 147, among them 88 children, most of whom died in the last few weeks. Images of emaciated Palestinian children have shocked the world, with Israel's strongest ally, US President Donald Trump, declaring that many people were starving. He promised to set up new "food centres". Israel has denied pursuing a policy of starvation. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said yesterday that the situation in Gaza was "tough", but there were lies about starvation there. The war began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas militants stormed across the border into Israeli communities. Israel says the militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 people into captivity in Gaza.
Irish Daily Mirror
15-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish teens among the unhappiest in the world and pandemic deepened the crisis
A new report by UNICEF claims Irish teenagers are amongst the unhappiest in the world because they succeed academically but struggle in life. Around 33% of the teens claim to have a low satisfaction with their lives, according to UNICEF's Report Card 19: Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World. It warned that Ireland's youth suicide rate is above the international average after comparing the wellbeing of teens across 43 OECD and EU countries. The Covid-19 pandemic, school closures, social isolation and separation from their peers and support systems, plus health concerns like weight are all referenced in the report. UNICEF claimed that these issues have 'deepened existing inequalities', especially amongst teens from disadvantaged areas. A UNICEF spokesperson said: 'The aftershocks of the pandemic, combined with economic pressures and digital harm, are reversing decades of progress in child wellbeing. Governments are urged to centre children in recovery plans and ensure young people have a voice in shaping their futures. The spokesperson added: 'Irish teenagers are among the least happy in high-income countries, despite leading the world in academic skills. While Ireland ranks first for academic performance, it falls to 24th for adolescent mental wellbeing — placing it in the bottom half globally. 'The findings reveal that nearly one in three 15-year-olds in Ireland report low life satisfaction. The country's youth suicide rate stands at 6.4 per 100,000, which is above the international average. The report analyses changes from 2018 to 2022, a period marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, school closures, and widespread social isolation. 'The report also highlights physical health risks. In Ireland, more than one in four children and adolescents (25.7%) are overweight or obese." UNICEF Ireland responded to the report by urging the Government to 'take targeted actions to protect child wellbeing, including'. The charity's executive director Peter Power warned: 'These findings are stark. Ireland's teens are succeeding in school, but struggling in life. We must match our investment in academic achievement with the same urgency for mental and emotional wellbeing.' UNICEF Ireland's head of advocacy, Aibhlin O'Leary, said: 'The pandemic has deepened existing inequalities, setting a troubling precedent for children's wellbeing, particularly among those from disadvantaged and marginalised backgrounds."
The Irish Sun
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Irish teens ‘succeeding in school, struggling in life', expert says amid ‘stark' least happy in developed world report
IRISH teenagers are among the least happy in high-income countries, despite leading the world in academic skills. Almost one in three 15-year-olds report life satisfaction across the country, the UNICEF report revealed. 2 More than one in four children and adolescents are overweight or obese in Ireland Credit: Getty While Ireland ranks first for academic performance, it falls to 24th for adolescent Ireland's youth suicide rate also stands at 6.4 per 100,000 which is above the international average. The Report Card 19: Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World compares the wellbeing of Executive Director of UNICEF Ireland, Peter Power, said: "These findings are stark. Read more in Health "Ireland's teens are succeeding in school, but struggling in life. "We must match our investment in academic achievement with the same urgency for mental and emotional wellbeing." The report analysed changes from 2018 to 2022, a period marked by the Across 26 countries with available data, life satisfaction among adolescents declined in 22. Most read in The Irish Sun School shutdowns, which lasted anywhere from three to twelve months, disconnected young people from peers, teachers, and critical support systems. More than one in four children and adolescents are The 15 signs a loved one is struggling with their mental health - and how to help When combined with constant exposure to unrealistic online body standards, the mental and physical health pressures on young people are intensifying. Head of Advocacy at UNICEF Ireland, Aibhlin O'Leary, added: "The pandemic has deepened existing inequalities, setting a troubling precedent for children's wellbeing - particularly among those from disadvantaged and marginalised backgrounds. "To respond meaningfully, we need a unified, child-centred strategy that tackles these disparities head-on and supports every child, at every stage of their development." UNICEF Ireland is urging the government to take targeted actions to protect child wellbeing, including increasing investment in in-school mental health services, particularly in disadvantaged areas, and drastically reducing waiting times for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). UNICEF Ireland targeted actions: Other targeted actions include: Improving physical health by enforcing strict nutritional standards for school meals to ensure all children, especially in disadvantaged areas, have access to nutritious, balanced meals; regulation of the marketing of unhealthy foods to children, in line with public health priorities, must also be prioritised. Strengthening digital resilience and body image education within the Junior Cycle curriculum, ensuring these topics are comprehensively delivered to address the harmful mental health effects of online pressures and unrealistic beauty standards. Engaging children and young people in conversations about their experiences with mobile phones and digital technology, fostering digital literacy and awareness of their rights in the online space. This includes working with them to identify and address the challenges they face online, and developing solutions that promote their mental health and overall wellbeing A spokesperson added: "UNICEF warns that the aftershocks of the pandemic, combined with economic pressures and digital harm, are reversing decades of progress in child wellbeing. "Governments are urged to centre children in recovery plans and ensure young people have a voice in shaping their futures." 2 The mental and physical health pressures on young people are intensifying Credit: Getty
The Journal
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Journal
Irish teens 'succeeding in school but struggling in life', says UN report
IRISH TEENAGERS ARE some of the least happy among the world's high-income countries, according to a UNICEF report. Analysing the mental and physical state of children across 43 OECD and EU countries, the report looked at the aftershock effects of the covid period and expanding digital world, which the children's rights agency says are 'reversing decades of progress in child wellbeing'. It places Ireland 24th overall for the mental health of its adolescence. Despite topping the list for academic performance, the data indicate a notable decline in the mental health of Irish teenagers in a period characterised by increased levels of isolation, the stifling of social interaction and the removal of critical support systems owing to long period of lockdowns. One in three Irish teenagers were found to have what is termed 'low life satisfaction', a factor which the report attributes to increased social media use. Life satisfaction was found to have dipped in recent years across several countries, including Ireland, with a notable decline in overall child mental health between the pre and post-covid periods. Although Ireland has a youth suicide rate of 6.4 per 100,000 (above the international average), the data showed a decrease in these figures among teenagers over the period in question. Advertisement UNICEF Ireland's executive director, Peter Power, described the results of the study as 'stark'. 'Ireland's teens are succeeding in school, but struggling in life,' he said. 'We must match our investment in academic achievement with the same urgency for mental and emotional wellbeing.' The children's rights agency is calling on the Government to investing heavily in in-school mental health services, particularly in disadvantaged areas, to prevent a further decline in the mental health. The report also revealed that one in four Irish teenagers (25.7%) are overweight or obese as UNICEF urges action by the Government in enforcing strict nutritional standards for school meals. Concerns around the harmful elements associated with the rise of social media use have led to further calls to foster in teenagers a digital literacy and awareness of their rights in the online space. 'The pandemic has deepened existing inequalities, setting a troubling precedent for children's wellbeing—particularly among those from disadvantaged and marginalised backgrounds,' said Aibhlin O'Leary, Head of Advocacy at UNICEF Ireland. 'To respond meaningfully, we need a unified, child-centred strategy that tackles these disparities head-on and supports every child, at every stage of their development.' The agency is warning that the Governments must centre children in its recovery plans and ensure young people have a voice in shaping their futures. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
14-05-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Ireland's teens among least happy in developed world
A UN report indicates that Irish teenagers are among the least happy in high-income countries, despite leading the world in academic skills. The study by UNICEF drew on official data from many countries, making comparisons and offering analysis. The report, entitled - Report Card 19: Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World - compares the wellbeing of children across 43 OECD and EU countries. According to the findings, Irish teenagers are succeeding in school but struggling in life, with nearly one in three 15-year-olds reporting low life satisfaction. Ireland's youth suicide rate was also found to be above the international average. "These findings are stark," said Executive Director of UNICEF Ireland Peter Power. "Ireland's teens are succeeding in school, but struggling in life. We must match our investment in academic achievement with the same urgency for mental and emotional wellbeing." Analysing change from 2018 to 2022, the report found the pandemic had a marked negative impact on children's mental health as a result of school shutdowns and social isolation. Across 26 countries with available data, life satisfaction among adolescents declined in 22. More than one in four children and young teenagers were also found to be overweight or obese. UNICEF Ireland is calling on the Government to take targeted actions to protect child wellbeing, including increasing investment in school mental health services, improving school meals and strengthening digital resilience.
