Saudi Gazette The Universal Children's Day falls on November 20 each year and was decreed by the United Nations as a day to promote the welfare of children. This day reminds members of the world community to work hard to protect children's rights, place emphasis on the importance of children and families, and seek better health care provision and education for children worldwide. Despite the declaration of this day and the worldwide consensus on the importance of our children, much work is still needed. UNICEF reported that 70% of the approximately 11 million child deaths every year are attributable to six potentially preventable causes: diarrhea, malaria, neonatal infection, pneumonia, preterm delivery, or lack of oxygen at birth. These deaths occur mainly in the developing world. An Ethiopian child is 30 times more likely to die by his or her fifth birthday than a child in Western Europe. Among deaths of children, South-central Asia has the highest number of newborn deaths, while sub-Saharan Africa has the highest mortality rates for children under the age of 5. This is the fourth year in a row that Saudi Arabia has been a participant country in the festivities surrounding the Universal Children's Day. The Ministry of Culture and Information calls on both private and government organizations to join in on the Universal Children's Day Festival. The festival sponsored by the Minister of Culture and Information, Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohieddin Khoja, will last for 4 days from Sunday, November 20th until November 24th. The festival will be held next Sunday at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh. The festival will include a range of activities for children that will help develop their skills and talents. The Ministry of Culture and Information invites children to participate in the following competitions and the Ministry will award winners with valuable prizes. · Photography Competition · Art and Painting Competition · Little Inventor Competition Other fun activities that will be held duirng the four day festival include making flower arrangements, competing at PlayStation games, races, and much more. __
