“Greek and foreign organisations for human rights but also, more recently, the mayor of Acharnes have reported that conditions at the Amygdaleza concentration camp are inhuman and humiliating, a fact made worse by the high temperatures,” the party said.

SYRIZA called for the immediate launch of an investigation to determine whether migrants were beaten when police units entered the facility to quell the riot .

The party also called for the immediate closure of camps and their replacement with hospitality centres for migrants and refugees needing international protection.

Meanwhile, the Greek police has denied that conditions for detained migrants at the Amygdaleza  center in Athens were unsuitable after a riot broke out on Saturday and 10 immigrants escaped from the facility, according to Kathimerini.

“We take all the necessary measures so holding conditions are respectable and that there is no chance of escape,” police spokesman Christos Parthenis told Mega TV.

Riot police were dispatched on Saturday to put down a riot at Greece’s main migrant detention camp where detainees hurled stones at officers and set fire to their living quarters, authorities said, AFP writes.

Violent riots broke out at the centre late on Saturday night and continued until the early hours of Sunday morning.

Television footage showed fires blazing at the Amygdaleza detention camp outside Athens, where some 1,200 mainly Asian migrants are kept under police guard.

Amygdaleza is one of several detention camps set up since last year to assist in the repatriation of thousands of undocumented migrants.

The police spokesman said rioting began when the detainees were told that their maximum stay in the camp would be extended to 18 months from a year previously.

According to AMNA, during a head count on Sunday, ten of the foreign nationals being held at the facility were found to be missing.

The authorities told the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) that the monsoon rains have killed an estimated 80 people, injured 36 others and displaced more than 81,000 so far.

The rains have also ravaged thousands of acres of standing crops and caused huge damage to houses and infrastructure, OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva, adding that further monsoon rains are forecast for later this month.

“Pakistani authorities continue rescue and relief activities in affected areas, particularly Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh provinces,” said Mr. Laerke. “They have not requested international assistance at this stage. OCHA and humanitarian partners are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to assist if required.”

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) will provide emergency health and diarrhoeal disease kits, water purification tablets and malaria medicine for 5,000 people. Other humanitarian agencies have also offered their support and stand ready to assist.

Meanwhile, UN agencies and partners are working with local authorities to reach people with live-saving aid in neighbouring Afghanistan, where flash floods have affected at least 13 villages in Kabul province in the last few days and dozens of people have reportedly died.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) will provide two months of food rations, while the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is working with the partner agency International Organization for Migration to provide water and sanitation support.

“UN and humanitarian partners are ready to provide food, basic household items, water, sanitation and emergency health support if required,” Mr. Laerke stated.

A new paper launched today by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Education for All Global Monitoring Report shows that half of the 57 million children out of school live in conflict-affected countries and that urgent action is required on several key fronts to address their needs.

Globally, the number of children out of school has fallen from 60 million in 2008 to 57 million in 2011. However, the report underscores that the benefits of this slow progress have not reached children in conflict-affected countries; they now make up 50 per cent of children who are denied an education, up from 42 per cent in 2008. More than half of those struggling to get an education in conflict-affected countries are women and girls.

The paper is being released in partnership with Save the Children to mark the 16th birthday of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl and education rights activist shot by the Taliban in October 2012. The day has is being commemorated as “Malada Day,” and, in her first major public appearance since the incident, Ms. Yousafzai is set to address the UN General Assembly in New York as keynote speaker of the world body’s Youth Assembly.

The paper, Children battling to go to school, shows that 44 per cent of the of the 28.5 million children affected live in sub-Saharan Africa, 19 per cent in South and West Asia and 14 per cent in the Arab States. The vast majority – 95 per cent – live in low and lower-middle income countries. Girls, who make up 55 per cent of the total, are the worst affected, as they are often victims of rape and other sexual violence that accompanies armed conflicts.

“Education seldom figures in assessments of the damage inflicted by conflict,” said Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO. “International attention and the media invariably focus on the most immediate images of humanitarian suffering, not on the hidden costs and lasting legacies of violence. Yet nowhere are these costs more evident than in education.”

The UNESCO chief said that across many of the world’s poorest countries, armed conflict continues to destroy not just school infrastructure, but also “the hopes and ambitions of a whole generation of children.”

While the 2011 Global Monitoring Report exposed the hidden crisis of education in war zones, two years later, the new paper declares: “The crisis of education in conflict is no longer hidden: there is no excuse for not helping to bring it to an end.”

The 2013 paper also shows that the share of humanitarian aid for education has declined from 2 per cent in 2009 to just 1.4 per cent in 2011. Not only does it receive a small share overall, but it also receives the smallest proportion of the amount requested from humanitarian aid of any sector: in 2010, of the modest amount requested for education in humanitarian crises, just over a quarter was actually received, leaving a funding gap of around $220 million.

“The decline in humanitarian aid for education is especially bad news because funds are needed more than ever,” said Pauline Rose, Director of the Education For All Global Monitoring Report.

“There are more refugees now than there have been since 1994; children make up half of those who have been forcibly displaced. Nowhere is this more painfully visible than in Syria today,” she said, adding that those girls and boys “face a disruption of their learning process at a critical time – and the risk of a lifetime of disadvantage as a result.”

The UNESCO panel compiled testimonies from a few young boys and girls to vividly illustrate this point, including a 16-year-old Syrian refugee living in Lebanon who has been unable to graduate because of the war raging in his home country. Aware that schools are being targeted and children are being killed on their way home from their classes, he says in the report: “Now students do not go to school because when they did, there were shells… this war stopped me from graduating and now my future is destroyed.”

“This is the first ever transition from one civilian Government to another and a significant step forward for democracy in the country,” the Secretary-General said of the 11 May elections, in a statement issued by his Spokesman.

“By exercising their constitutional right to vote, the people of Pakistan have reaffirmed their desire for and commitment to a democratic Pakistan and their respect for the constitution of the country,” Secretary-General Ban said.

Pleased to note the significant turnout for the elections, especially the youth and first time voters, “who came out in millions to take part,” the UN chief also noted the increase in the participation of women, but regretted that in some parts of the country, they were deterred from voting.

“The Secretary-General applauds the courage and determination of political parties and election workers to engage in the electoral process despite the challenging security situation ahead of the voting,” the statement said.

Mr. Ban also commended the Electoral Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for successfully organizing the polls, and reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations to continue to support and assist the ECP.

With more than 86 million people reportedly registered to vote, Pakistanis were set to select from among 5,000 candidates for the National Assembly and nearly 11,700 vying for the Provincial Assembly.

A statement issued by Mr. Ban’s Spokesman on 9 May noted the Secretary-General’s “concern” about the series of attacks in the run-up to the polls targeting politicians, political rallies, and election offices.

More than 100 people were reportedly been killed during that cycle of political violence, according to media reports. The UN chief conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families of all the victims.

He also acknowledged the efforts being made by the Government of Pakistan “to ensure the safety and security of candidates, party workers, election officials, observers and voters on the day of the elections,” that statement noted.

“I understand that the damage is less than might have been expected for an earthquake of this strength,” he said at a ceremony marking the re-opening of the Security Council Chamber following its refurbishment. “Still, there are deaths and terrible damage. I express my profound condolences to the families of the victims, and to the Governments and people of both countries.

“I will continue to follow the news closely as relief workers and search and rescue teams reach the areas. The United Nations stands ready to help as necessary if asked to do so,” he added.

According to media reports dozens of people were killed in both countries when the quake struck the border region, with one Iranian official quoted as saying it was the biggest earthquake in Iran in 40 years with the death toll expected to be in the hundreds.

The earthquake measured 7.8 on the Richter and according to the US Geological Survey the epicentre of the quake was 86km southeast of Khash, Iran.

Initial reports put the death toll at 40, with officials saying that hundreds were feared dead from the quake.

According to reports the earthquake was felt in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan including Delhi, India’s capital.

A powerful 6.3 magnitude quake struck close to Iran’s only nuclear power station on April 9, killing 39 people and injuring 850 as it destroyed houses and two villages.

The deadliest quake in the country was in June 1990 and measured 7.7 on the Richter scale. About 37,000 people were killed and more than 100,000 injured in the northwestern provinces of Gilan and Zanjan. It devastated 27 towns and about 1,870 villages, according to Fars news agency.

On Saturday 17 February, at least 84 people, mostly Shiite Hazaras, were killed when a bomb exploded in a vegetable market in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province.

The bombing was claimed by the anti-Shiite armed group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). LeJ also claimed responsibility for a series of bombings targeting Hazaras in Quetta on 10 January 2013 that claimed more than 90 lives.

“These attacks demonstrate Lashkar-e-Jhangvi’s utter disregard for human rights and basic principles of humanity,” said Isabelle Arradon, Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia-Pacific Director.

“Also shocking is the continued failure of the authorities to bring to justice any of those responsible for committing these killings, or inciting others to carry them out.”

To Amnesty International’s knowledge, no one has been prosecuted for the January 2013 attacks or other targeted killings of Hazaras in recent years.

The authorities also have a poor record of prosecuting those who incite attacks on people on the basis of their religious beliefs, including prominent leaders of groups like LeJ.

“The failure to bring these perpetrators to justice sends the signal that they can continue to commit these outrageous abuses with impunity,” said Arradon.

Amnesty International has documented 91 separate attacks on Shiites across Pakistan since January 2012 that have resulted in around 500 fatalities.

Amnesty International calls on the Pakistani authorities to immediately carry out an impartial and independent investigation into the persistent failure of civil and military authorities to end such attacks.

“The Pakistani security authorities must be held accountable for their failure to protect Quetta’s Hazara community and the population at large,” Arradon said.

Between 2000 and 2011, measles deaths dropped from 542,000 to 158,000 globally, representing a 71 per cent decrease. New cases also dropped during the same period by 58 per cent, according to new data released by the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

However, the agency warned that despite global progress, some populations remain unprotected, with an estimated 20 million children lacking vaccinations. More than half of them are concentrated in five countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. India has the largest number of unvaccinated children – 6.7 million – followed by Nigeria and Ethiopia with 1.7 million and 1 million, respectively.

In 2011, outbreaks of the disease were reported in all five countries, as well as France, Italy and Spain. Most of these countries are in WHO regions which have committed to eliminate measles by 2015 or 2020.

Measles is a highly infectious disease that occurs through the spread of nasal and oral fluids and causes complications and deaths, even in previously healthy individuals. It is one of the leading causes of death among young children even though a safe vaccine is available.

“The measles outbreaks pose a serious challenge to the regional elimination efforts and signal where national health systems and routine immunization programmes need strengthening,” WHO stated in a news release. “Resuming progress in reducing measles cases and deaths means strengthening health systems so that they can provide effective immunization services and laboratory-supported surveillance for vaccine-preventable diseases to all children.”

The new data, published in WHO’s Weekly Epidemiological Record, shows overall progress in reducing deaths is linked largely to increased vaccination coverage. Two doses of measles vaccine are recommended by WHO since about 15 per cent of vaccinated children fail to develop immunity from the first dose.

The UN health agency noted that the outbreaks indicate the need to ensure that parents are fully aware of the benefits of immunization and the risks associated with not vaccinating children.

Since 2000, with support from the Measles & Rubella Initiative, more than one billion children have been reached through mass vaccination campaigns ? about 225 million of them in 2011.

Launched in 2001, the Measles & Rubella Initiative is a partnership — led by the American Red Cross, the UN Foundation, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and WHO — committed to reducing measles deaths worldwide.

In April, the partners of the Initiative introduced a new global plan to jointly tackle measles and rubella using the same strategy and a combined vaccine. The new Measles & Rubella Initiative aims to reduce measles deaths worldwide by 95 per cent between by 2015 and to eliminate measles and rubella in at least five of six WHO regions by 2020.

In a press release, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, denounced the killing of community radio journalist Elisabeth Blanche Olofio, who lost her life when rebels stormed her radio station, Radio Be Oko, on 8 January in the town of Bambari in CAR.

“I condemn the killing of Elisabeth Blanche Olofio and feel grave concern about the safety of her colleagues,” said Ms. Bokova, while also urging all the fighting factions in the African country to “respect the civilian status of journalists.”

Over the past month, CAR has experienced a flare-up of violence, with a number of cities reportedly falling under the control of armed groups, which, in turn, has led to thousands of people fleeing areas where fighting has taken place.

Following the attack on Radio Be Oko, press freedom associations operating in the area reported receiving no news regarding the safety of Ms. Olofio’s colleagues and the radio station has had to cease its broadcasts.

Ms. Bokova underlined the importance of community-based media, noting that journalists like Ms. Olofio provided news for most of the population and contributed to “the well-being and development of ordinary citizens.”

In a separate press statement released today, the UNESCO chief condemned the killing of another radio reporter, Tanzanian journalist Issa Ngumba, who was also found dead on 8 January.

Mr. Ngumba had been missing for three days before his body was discovered in Tanzania’s Kajuhuleta Forest, exhibiting signs that he had been strangled or hanged, according to media reports. He is the second journalist killed in Tanzania in recent months.

Ms. Bokova deplored the killing and appealed to local authorities to investigate the crime as thoroughly as possible.

“It is essential that attacks on media workers be prosecuted so as to uphold the basic human right of freedom of expression,” she declared. “Safety contributes to journalists’ ability to inform public debate, the bedrock of democracy.”

Turning her focus onto Pakistan, where a series of bombings in Quetta last Friday reportedly killed at least 100 people and injured at least 200 more, including three reporters, Ms. Bokova also expressed her condolences to the people of the Asian nation.

“The bomb attacks in Quetta last Friday, which targeted civilians as well as rescue services and media, were particularly shocking,” she stated, adding that the attacks violated democratic values and human rights.

“I urge the Government of Pakistan to do everything within its power to bring those responsible to justice,” she continued.

According to independent accounts, three journalists were killed in the second wave of bombings which struck the Pakistani city as they rushed to report from the site of the first blast.

Imran Shaikh, a news cameraman for Samaa TV, and Mohammad Iqbal, a photographer with the news agency News Network International (NNI) were killed instantly while Saif-ur-Rehman, a Samaa News reporter, was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Today, World Polio Day, is a reminder of all that has been achieved in the fight against polio. There is much to celebrate; fewer children than ever before suffer this cruel disease, and for the first time in its history, this year, India was declared polio free.

However, children in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria — the three remaining polio-endemic countries — are still affected by the ravages of this virus. And it is the children in the hardest to reach areas of these countries that are most at risk.

“India’s example shows us we can reach them. And we will reach them – by working together. In September at the UN General Assembly, the leaders of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, as well as government donors, civil society and the private sector all reconfirmed their commitment to rid the world of polio,” stated Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director commenting on the occasion.

“We have come so far together in the fight to end polio. We have the means to finish the job. We can make history. Or we can fail to seize the moment. Let history judge us harshly, let a polio-free world be our legacy to the next generation of children,” Lake insisted.

It is indeed a long hard fight the one against polio. The main thing that could threaten the polio eradication effort would be a dramatic funding shortfall (estimated at $945 million, which represents almost half the amount originally budgeted for 2012-13).

Recently, the reality of balancing the budget has led certain countries, especially in central and western Africa, to cancel or postpone polio immunization drives. The consequences could be catastrophic; millions of children could get polio from individuals travelling from endemic countries. The budget gap needs to be closed so all planned immunization drives can take place and the disease needs to be contained within its current sanctuaries.

The total budget for 2012-2013 is $2,19 billion of which $1,24 billion is covered already. The affected countries contribute roughly 20% to that total amount. Rotary International together with the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation count for 15%. The G8 puts in 14% and 6% from NGO’s such as UNICEF.

Alarmed by the funding shortfall and cancelled vaccination drives, the World Health Assembly voted on May 25 to declare the polio situation to be a “global emergency” that needs a quick response. The Review Board of the Global Eradication Initiative issued a report warning that cutbacks in vaccination drives are “escalating the risk of an explosive return of polio just as it is at its lowest level in history.”

The report further identified 20 African countries that were infected by polio imported from Nigeria from 2006-10, 18 of which have now cancelled or trimmed vaccination campaigns because of the funding shortfall. It is also estimated that 94 million children will be affected by the cutbacks by the end of this year.

In spite of the huge achievements years of fighting against polio-endemic has achieved, it seems the situation is now critical and the work is far from done, yet.

Parts of Pakistan are among the most dangerous places in the world to go to school. Abandoned schools, which continue to remain as piles of rubble across Pakistan’s north-west bring into question the government’s level of commitment to seeing children return to school in safety.

96 schools were attacked in Pakistan this year alone. Most of these attacks took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (KP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) bordering Afghanistan. Fourteen attacks were reported from Mohmand Agency in the tribal areas. Dozens of attacks were reported from various districts of KP. Thirteen schools were attacked in Swabi district, 12 in Charsadda district, and 11 in Mardan district. Schools have also been attacked in Balochistan and Sindh provinces. The United Nations reported 152 incidents of partial or complete destruction of school facilities in FATA and KP in 2011.

Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old student and outspoken advocate for children’s right to education, was shot in the head and neck on October 9, 2012, leaving her in critical condition. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack garnered condemnation from across the political spectrum in Pakistan, and the international community.

However, what is happening in the country is more than just the case of the shooting of one brave girl, but a crisis for the entire Pakistani education system. Just three days later, Shia university students were critically hurt when extremists threw acid at their faces while they were on their way home to Parachinar, in FATA, after taking exams in Kohat, KP. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for this attack as well.

Some months earlier, in May, a local Islamist politician issued an edict declaring girls’ education as un-Islamic, arguing that education persuaded girls to join non-governmental organizations, and threatened to have women non-governmental organization workers in Kohistan, KP, forcibly married.

Non-governmental organization workers in FATA and KP have also been targeted for their work on education. In July, Farida Afridi, a women’s rights activist was murdered, apparently for her work on girls’ education and women’s empowerment in Khyber Agency, FATA.

The situation seems to be more than alarming, and the population has little if no possibility to oppose resistance to the flood of violence women and children are faced with.

Pakistan’s federal government should cooperate with provincial authorities to create a rapid response system whenever there are attacks on schools. The facilities should be repaired and destroyed educational material replaced so that children can return to school as soon as possible.

It is time Pakistani authorities understood that those who seek to harm students and teachers wish to rob Pakistan of its future.