According to the UNICEF report, great progress has been made in the protection o

A new study says millions of the world’ s children continue to live in poverty, disease and despair. VOA’s correspondent Bmeck Ardery reports on the annual report from UNICEF, the United Nations Children’ s Fund.
     The report acknowledges great progress has been made in the eradication of certain childhood diseases such as polio and measles. However, it emphasizes that for millions of the world’ s children, armed conflicts, disease and forced labor continue to take a heavy toll. Susan Surandon, the American film actress who is recently appointed UNICEF special representative, told reporters that 3 main factors are endangering the lives and futures of the world’ s children. "Poverty is killing our children; HIV is killing our children, disproportionately in sub-Saharan Africa; armed conflict is killing our children. And when I say killing, I mean their bodies and their souls their futures, our futures." Ms. Surandon cited statistics which show that in the last decade 2 million children died in wars, 6 million were disabled as the result of armed conflicts, and 14 million have been orphaned by the disease AIDS. A special focus in this year’ s UNICEF report is on the rights of adolescents. No longer children in the traditional sense, the report says adolescents still need positive support and guidance and the opportunity to finish school. Breck Ardery, VOA News, at the United Nations.