BANTEAY MEANCHEY: The Permanent Secretary of State of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, Nim Thot, has attended a working meeting on child protection with defense workers and partner organizations on Wednesday.

At the meeting the Permanent Secretary of State remarked that all children deserve rights, and all stakeholders must strive to protect children, strengthen child protection systems, establish welfare services and build community capacity to respond to and prevent all forces of violence against children.

He thanked the organizations and institutions already engaged in child protection, and urged all other stakeholders to continue actively working towards the elimination of child labor activities, where children are especially vulnerable to exploitation and violence.

He further added that all children are entitled to their basic rights, which include the right to participate in community with parental care, the right to access to food, the right to education, the right to health care, the right to law enforcement protection and the right to attention, protection and care.

According to a report released by the Women and Children Advisory Committee in Banteay Meanchey outlining the number of houses where vulnerable children are at risk, there are 1,149 households where children are separated from their families, compared to 232 households where children live with their families or relatives.

Other statistics from the report include 194 recorded households where children are affected by street violence, exploitation and neglect; 1157 recorded households where children do not have birth certificates or official papers; 2068 recorded households with children that were affected by COVID-19; 1011 recorded households where children became infected with COVID-19; four recorded households where children died due to COVID-19; and 4,540 recorded households that participated in training and dissemination of positive child rearing.