Young Pakistani siblings renew their pledge for world’s innocent children

LAHORE, Jun 04 (APP):On the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, two young Pakistani siblings — Ubaida Al Fiddhah Hafiah (11) and her brother Ghulam Bisher Hafi (13) — have renewed their pledge to champion the cause of every child victimised by war and aggression.

According to a press release issued here on Thursday, the day, established by the United Nations General Assembly on August 19, 1982 through Resolution ES-7/8 in response to the mass killing of Palestinian and Lebanese children during the Lebanon War, is observed each year on June 4 to acknowledge children’s suffering worldwide and reaffirm the UN’s commitment to their protection under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Two years ago, the siblings co-founded the ‘Voice of the Voiceless’ campaign to spotlight the crisis facing children in conflict zones of the world. They launched their campaign with notes written with their own blood to highlight severity of the situation and plight of children whose blood was being shed mercilessly. In Gaza, even if considered alone, the UNICEF reports that over 64,000 children have been killed or maimed since October 2023, including small babies, and more than 56,000 have lost one or both parents.

On the solemn day, they addressed an open letter to the UN Secretary-General, the Security Council, UNICEF, and all governments with influence over the Gaza conflict — calling for an immediate ceasefire, unconditional humanitarian access, protection of schools and hospitals, and accountability for crimes against children. Their call extends equally to children suffering in Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar, and every other theatre of conflict.

The siblings strongly condemn the act of child starvation, as being employed as a weapon of war against the innocent children of Gaza. “The children of Gaza know only bombs, hunger and loss. Their silence is not peace — it is the silence of the unheard. We cannot remain silent, anymore for them.”

Last year, in recognition of their efforts, the Palestinian Embassy in Pakistan had honoured both siblings for their humanitarian solidarity that transcends countries. They have been presented with the UN Awards along with Eglantine Jebb Pen and a USD 10,000 scholarship to study abroad, which they dedicated to the left alone amputee children of Gaza. They are also among just nine young people worldwide nominated in the Century Merit Poll in ‘Young Trailblazers Quadrant’ for the Impact Hallmarks’ First Quarticentennial (first 25 Years of the 21st century) contest — reserved for youth whose contributions have already reshaped the landscape of activism in this century’s opening quarter.

Today, they pledge to carry ‘Voice for the Voiceless’ into every forum available to them — international platforms, letters to world leaders, and the steady, unrelenting work of building a generation that refuses to look away. They had launched the campaign in 2024 through symbolic peaceful activism spotlighting children in conflict zones. They used haunting protest notes to urge global leaders toward peace and child protection. Young siblings’ work amplifies children’s voices worldwide and challenges the world to review and reimagine the compassion and collective responsibility.