The basic rights that a person is entitled to as a human being, despite of his caste, creed, gender, religion, color, language, nation, social origin, property, birth or other status, qualify as human rights. December 10 is commemorated as Human Rights Day, since 1948, when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This document is available in 500 languages, thus being the most translated document in the world.
THEME OF 2021: EQUALITY – Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights
Humanitarian crises, which have increased during this pandemic, send chills through the spine. Here are top 5 such instances.
1.AFGHANISTAN
55% of it’s population is facing extreme hunger, and 9 million people are living at the risk of famine. The take over by Taliban put the country in dire economic crisis coupled with minimal humanitarian assistance. “But as we reach thousands of people, we find thousands more who are in need of humanitarian assistance”, said the United Nations Human Rights Council spokesperson, Babar Baloch.
2.GAZA, PALESTINE
In the month of May this year, 271 Palestinians were killed, out of which 67 were children. People are not able to access the basic amenities of life and are bound by severe movement restrictions. UN reports reveal that 75% of children in the city are in need of psycho-social assistance and mental health treatment. Many other information about ill-treatment of children and unsubstantiated arrest by the Israeli forces have also come up.
3. YEMEN
Approximately 233,000 people died, including 131,000 from indirect causes such as lack of food, health services and infrastructure due to the conflict, according to a report in December 2020. 71% of the population need some or the other form of humanitarian support for survival. 5 million people are at the brink of famine, and almost 50,000 are experiencing famine-like conditions.
According to the UN, an estimated amount of 2.3 million children aged
5 or less are badly malnourished along with 400,000 people who are at the risk of dying without treatment. In Yemen, on one side 20% of districts have no doctors, and on the other, almost 20 million people lack access to adequate healthcare. 1 out of every 2 people don’t have access to safe water.
The UN calls it world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
4. MYANMAR
The 2020 elections in Myanmar was won by the National League for Democracy party of Aung San Suu Kyi by a huge margin. But, before the government sat in the parliament, the military coup took over the region, arrested Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi. They lethally forced the crowd to call for reinstatement of the democratically elected government. They claimed their coup important by throwing allegations of fraud in elections on the newly formed government, even though there was no evidence of it.
Since the coup, at least 1,305 people, including more than 75 children, have been killed due to anti-coup protests. Tens of thousands of people have been arrested and according to a report, the killing of at least 65 protesters on March 14 in Yangon, was planned.
5. SOUTH SUDAN
Since June of 2011, South Sudan is engulfed with crisis one after the other. A brutal civil war that broke open took the lives of nearly 400,000 people, along with displacement of millions. Even after the agreement of peace deals, the brutality of war crimes hasn’t decreased much. Along with it, South Sudan is exposed to the worst floods in 60 years. The farm lands under water pose a greater risk of water borne diseases to the already suffering people.
Humanity is undermined due to various reasons. Be it climate or political motives there are millions of people who are not aware of their basic rights, even today, hence suffer from exploitation. But you can avail the UDHR by clicking here , go through your rights and share it.
https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day
