Il sorriso di Roberta per l’UNICEF – Project "Children in Danger"

As in previous years, this year too, the hall in the Paladiana glasses Municipality of Milazzo, in the days that are 26 to 28 May 2017, will host the ninth edition of "The Robert's smile for UNICEF".
This year UNICEF project " Children in danger. "
According to a new UNICEF report, 3.6 million children in Iraq - one in five in the country - are at serious risk of death, being wounded, to suffer sexual violence, abduction and recruitment into armed groups.
The report "A hefty price for children" reveals that the number of children in danger of being subjected to these violations increased by 1.3 million in 18 months.
A total of 1,496 children have been kidnapped in the country over the last two and a half years, which is equivalent to 50 children kidnapped each month; many are forced to fight or to suffer sexual abuse.
The report also indicates that almost the '10% of Iraqi children - 1.5 million - have been forced to flee their homes because of violence since the beginning of 2014, often several times.
Almost a school out of five can not be used because of conflicts and almost 3.5 million children of school age have no education.
Since 2014, UNICEF has verified 122 attacks on educational facilities and 797 schools were used as shelters for the displaced.
Ben 8.3 million children (more than twice the number estimated in 1990) have been exposed to severe stress from 2014; 975,000 girls (they were 449,800 in 1990) were married before the age of 15 and 575,000 children (there were 265,300 in 1990) work.
4.7 million children are in need of humanitarian aid - a third of all Iraqi children - while many families now have to face the worsening conditions after the military operations in Fallujah and around Mosul.
In 2016, more than a quarter of the 1.1 million children who will be born, will do without medical care.
Almost a quarter of the children in Iraq is stunted; one child in 25 dies before their fifth birthday.
One million children under 10 years of age who fled their homes are facing a severe shortage of drinking water; 25% of children meet the requirements to have a daily water entering rivers and streams.
"Children in Iraq are at the forefront and are hit repeatedly and relentlessly - said Peter Hawkins, representative of UNICEF Iraq -.
We call on all parties to exercise restraint and to respect and protect children.
We have to help children to have all the support they need to recover from the horrors of war and contribute to a more peaceful and prosperous Iraq. "
The UNICEF report documents the extent and complexity of the humanitarian crisis in a country surrounded by nearly four decades of conflict, insecurity and neglect, and where the impact on children gets worse every day.
"The abduction of children from their homes, their schools and on the streets is horrible - added Hawkins -.
These children are torn from their families and are subjected to terrible abuse and exploitation. "
UNICEF calls for urgent action to protect the rights of children in Iraq.
There are five concrete steps that must be taken immediately: put an end to killings, mutilations, abductions, torture, detention, sexual violence and recruitment of children.
Put an end to attacks on schools, medical facilities and personnel; provide free and unconditional humanitarian access to all children, wherever they are in the country, including areas that are not under government control.
In areas where conflict is ongoing, to civilians who wish to leave must be allowed safe passage and must be able to access the services they need; strengthen and improve education for school children.
Increase access to learning and equip teachers and children of educational and training materials.
These are the children who will rebuild Iraq and contribute to a more 'peaceful and stable future; provide psychological and recreational programs to help children heal and recover their childhood; increase funding: UNICEF has requested $ 100 million for its response in Iraq for 2016.
UNICEF and its partners are working under very difficult circumstances to provide aid to children who desperately need.
These include: psychological support to more than 100,000 children in the last year and a half; clean water to more than 750,000 people so far in 2016; vaccination of 5.6 million children against polio; support for more than 710,000 children in access to education.

What shall we do to help them
It will set up a group exhibition that will directly involve all the participating artists, who will donate their painting.
The presence of many artists of many nationalities who have pledged to donate one of their works for the realization of this project, comforted by the organizers who hope to repeat the success of previous events.

All the works donated by the artists will be on sale during the event and all proceeds will be donated to UNICEF and will finance the project "Project" Children in danger "that the Provincial Committee of Unicef Messina and the association Roberta Smedili adopted for their business for the year 2017.
For information and donation paintings.
Associazione Roberta Smedili
Via Gabriele D'Annunzio, 12
98057 Milazzo (ME)
email robertasmedili@yahoo.it
http://ilsorrisodiroberta.jimdo.com/ website
Il sorriso di Roberta per l’UNICEF – Project "Children in Danger"
Paladiana the Municipality of Milazzo 26 to 28 May 2017

show presentation
round hall of Paladiana, 26 May 2017 at 19.00

Exhibition and sale paintings
Hall in the Paladiana windows 27 to 28 May 2017 - hours 10.00 to 20.00