WASHINGTON: The US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization Friday for the use of Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines in the youngest children, the final age group awaiting immunization in most countries.
The agency authorized Moderna’s two-dose vaccine for children aged six months to five years, and three doses of Pfizer’s shots for those between six months and four years old.
“Many parents, caregivers and clinicians have been waiting for a vaccine for younger children and this action will help protect those down to six months of age,” Food and Drug Administration chief Robert Califf said in a statement.
“We expect that the vaccines for younger children will provide protection from the most severe outcomes of Covid-19, such as hospitalization and death.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must now also recommend the vaccines before they are put into use — a final green light that will be given after a meeting of an advisory committee of experts that is expected to be held shortly.
But the US government has said that as soon as the FDA decision is made, 10 million doses could immediately be sent around the country, followed by millions more in subsequent weeks.
Both vaccines are based on messenger RNA, which delivers genetic code for the coronavirus spike protein to human cells that then grow it on their surface, training the immune system to be ready. The technology is now considered the leading Covid vaccination platform.
The vaccines were tested in trials of thousands of children. They were found to cause similar levels of mild side effects as in older age groups and triggered similar levels of antibodies.
Efficacy against infection was higher for Pfizer, with the company placing it at 80 percent, compared to Moderna’s estimates of 51 percent for children aged six-months to two years old and 37 percent for those aged two to five years.
But the Pfizer figure is based on very few cases and is thus considered preliminary. It also takes three doses to achieve its protection, with the third shot given eight weeks after the second, which is given three weeks after the first.
Moderna’s vaccine should provide strong protection against severe disease after two doses, given four weeks apart, and the company is studying adding a booster that would raise efficacy levels against mild disease.
However, Moderna’s decision to go with a higher dose is associated with higher levels of fevers in reaction to the vaccine compared to Pfizer.
There are some 20 million children aged four years and under in the United States.
US approves Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for youngest children
https://arab.news/bjrq5
US approves Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for youngest children
- The agency authorized Moderna's two-dose vaccine for children aged six months to five years
- Three doses of Pfizer's shots for those between six months and four years old
How protracted conflicts from Gaza to DRC are leaving deep scars on children’s lives
- The UN verified 41,370 grave violations against children in 2024 — a 25 percent rise and the highest number ever recorded
- Gaza alone saw 4,856 verified violations — more than any other region — with thousands of children killed or injured
LONDON: For children trapped in the world’s conflict zones, 2024 was a year of unprecedented suffering. The UN verified 41,370 grave violations against children — a record-shattering 25 percent increase over the previous year — devastating countless young lives.
From Gaza to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, children are among the most vulnerable victims of war. The consequences go far beyond immediate physical danger, shaping the course of their lives for years to come.
According to the UN Security Council’s June 17 report on children and armed conflict, at least 22,495 were maimed, killed, recruited, or denied life-saving aid — robbed of the safety and innocence that should define childhood.
“The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball, but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings, should keep all of us awake at night,” Virginia Gamba, special representative of the UN secretary-general for children and armed conflict, said in the report.
“This must serve as a wake-up call. We are at the point of no return.”
The report, the most damning since the UN began collecting data in 1996, also noted a surge in children suffering multiple violations. In 2024, some 3,137 children were subjected to overlapping abuses such as abduction, forced recruitment, and sexual violence — up from 2,684 the year before.
Months before the report’s release, the UN children’s fund, UNICEF, warned of a crisis beyond precedent. In December, the agency declared 2024 the worst year in its history for children caught in war.
“By almost every measure, 2024 has been one of the worst years on record for children in conflict in UNICEF’s history — both in terms of the number of children affected and the level of impact on their lives,” Catherine Russell, the agency’s executive director, said in a statement.
These children are more likely to be malnourished, displaced, or out of school than those in peaceful regions — a reality she insisted “must not be the new normal.”
“We cannot allow a generation of children to become collateral damage to the world’s unchecked wars,” Russell added.
Beyond the physical toll of conflict, psychological wounds are also profound and enduring, often outlasting conflicts themselves.
“What the recent UN report shows is that children caught in conflict zones are facing unimaginable levels of harm,” Dr. Jeeda Alhakim, a specialist counseling psychologist at City St George’s, University of London, told Arab News.
“This kind of violence doesn’t end when the event is over. It stays with them.”
Alhakim explained that prolonged exposure to danger alters a child’s perception of safety and can even reshape their biology. “When the body is constantly in survival mode, it becomes harder to sleep, concentrate, or feel calm,” she said.
Over time, this toxic stress can disrupt brain development, especially in neural regions responsible for memory, decision making, and emotional regulation. “Trauma doesn’t just live in the mind,” Alhakim said. “It becomes embedded in the nervous system.”
INNUMBERS
- 41,370 Violations against children.
- 11,967 Children maimed or killed.
(Source: UN, 2024)
There are “disruptions in the brain’s stress regulation systems,” she added, “especially in areas like the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, which are central to managing emotions, remembering things, and making sense of what’s happening around them.”
She emphasized that trauma is not always visible. “Some children appear fine on the outside but are struggling internally. Others show signs of distress more openly. It depends on their experiences, the support they have, and what they’ve lost.
“When children struggle with focus, learning, or emotional outbursts, it’s not simply behavioral — it’s a sign that their brains are adapting to survive.”
Regardless of how it manifests, the consequences are deeply human. “Many children carry a profound sense of loss — of a parent, a home, or a future they once believed in,” she added.
Among the hardest-hit regions, the Palestinian territories ranked highest in the UN’s report, with 8,554 verified violations. More than 4,856 occurred in the Gaza Strip alone.
The UN confirmed the deaths of 1,259 Palestinian children in Gaza, while it continues to verify reports of another 4,470 killed in 2024. The report also documented 22 cases of Palestinian boys used as human shields in Gaza and five more in the West Bank.
Since Israel’s military operation in Gaza began in retaliation for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, children in the Palestinian enclave have faced bombardment, deprivation, and the collapse of essential services.
Conditions further deteriorated in March when Israeli forces resumed bombing raids and tightened their blockade, triggering catastrophic levels of displacement and the near-total breakdown of healthcare and education.
“Under our watch, Gaza has become the graveyard of children (and) starving people,” Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, posted on X on July 11.
“Their choice is between two deaths: starvation or being shot at. The most cruel (and) machiavellian scheme to kill, in total impunity.”
His remarks followed the killing of 15 people, including nine children and four women, who were waiting in line for nutritional supplements in Deir Al-Balah on July 10. The Israel Defense Forces have consistently denied targeting civilians.
The UN has nevertheless kept Israel on its blacklist of parties committing grave violations against children for a second consecutive year. Gaza’s ruling Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad also remain on the list.
Outside the Palestinian territories, other regions also witnessed surging violence. In 2024, the UN recorded more than 4,000 violations in the DRC, some 2,500 in Somalia, nearly 2,500 in Nigeria, and more than 2,200 in Haiti.
Among the most alarming trends was a sharp rise in sexual violence. The UN documented a 35 percent increase in such cases last year, with a notable spike in gang rapes, underscoring the systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
“Sexual violence is especially devastating,” Alhakim said. “It harms children physically, but also emotionally and socially. It can leave them feeling ashamed, isolated, and deeply confused, especially when used deliberately as a weapon of war.”
While the UN verified more than 2,000 cases in 2024, the real number is likely far higher. The report stressed that sexual violence remains vastly underreported due to stigma, fear of retaliation, social norms, lack of access to services, and impunity.
“Children are often too afraid or unable to speak out,” said Alhakim. “In some communities, the stigma surrounding sexual violence adds an extra layer of suffering and silence.”
Save the Children revealed in a June report that at least 1,938 children were subjected to catastrophic sexual violence in 2024 — the highest number of verified cases since records began. The figure marks a staggering 50 percent increase since 2020.
“To normalize this level of violence against children is to accept the dismantling of our collective humanity,” Helen Pattinson, CEO of War Child UK, said in a statement. “The level of alarm is unprecedented. Governments must act immediately to turn the tide of grief, trauma and loss borne by children.”
For millions of children growing up under siege, survival alone is no longer enough. What they need is safety, justice, and a chance to dream again.
“No child should have to carry the weight of mass violence,” said Alhakim. “And yet far too many are.”
Bangladesh’s child marriage rate soars to highest in South Asia
- 51 percent of Bangladeshi girls marry before age 18, according to UN
- Rate is significantly lower in Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan
DHAKA: The child marriage rate continues to rise since the COVID-19 pandemic, experts warn, as the latest UN data shows that more than half of Bangladeshi women are married before reaching adulthood — the highest percentage in the whole South Asia.
Bangladesh has long had one of the world’s highest rates of child marriage and, unlike other countries in the region, for the past few years has seen the situation worsening.
According to the annual report of the UN Population Fund released last month, 51 percent of Bangladeshi girls are found to have been married before turning 18 — the legal age for marriage.
The rate was significantly lower, at 29 percent in nearby Afghanistan, 23 percent in India, and 18 percent in Pakistan.
“Among South Asian countries, we are in a poor position when it comes to child marriage rates, even though we perform better on some other gender-related indicators set by the UN,” Rasheda K. Chowdhury, social activist and executive director of the Campaign for Popular Education, told Arab News.
“Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the child marriage rate in the country was around 33 percent. At that time, we were not the worst in South Asia in this regard. However, the pandemic disrupted everything.”
Data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics shows a steady increase in child marriage rates of several percent a year since 2020 — coinciding with coronavirus lockdowns, which exacerbated poverty, disrupted education, and increased household stress.
“Our research found that COVID-19 increased poverty, interrupted education for both boys and girls, and worsened malnutrition. In this context, many guardians from underprivileged communities chose to marry off their daughters in hopes of reducing the financial burden on their families,” Chowdhury said.
“Poverty is the primary driver of early marriages, as many guardians are unable to cope with household expenses. As a result, they often choose to marry off their daughters at a young age.”
Lack of women’s access to education is usually seen as the main reason behind high child marriage rates, but Bangladesh has the highest enrollment of girls in secondary school in the whole region.
“Bangladesh has invested much in infrastructure development rather than human development,” Chowdhury said.
“To prevent early marriages, society must play a crucial role. The government alone cannot act as a watchdog in every household. Local communities need to take initiative and actively work to stop child marriages.”
Azizul Haque, project manager at World Vision Bangladesh, also saw the problem as related to social awareness.
“In the villages and remotest parts of the country, girls are mostly considered a burden for the family, so the parents prefer to marry off the girls as soon as possible ... In many of the remotest areas, there are schools that provide education only up to class eight, so after the completion of their eighth grade in school, many of the girls have nothing to do at home. This situation also triggers the increase in child marriages,” he said.
“There is a huge lack of social awareness. At the national level, we need to strengthen the mass campaign conveying the demerits of early marriages, so that everyone becomes aware of the negative impacts.”
Saudi-funded university township opens in Sri Lanka’s rural northwest
- New university buildings and infrastructure in North Western Province to benefit 5,000 Sri Lankan students
- Saudi Arabia was the only country that did not suspend developmental projects during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, envoy says
COLOMBO: The Wayamba University township, financed by the Saudi Fund for Development, was opened to the public on Monday, marking the latest development initiative completed in Sri Lanka with Saudi assistance.
The $28 million project in Sri Lanka’s North Western Province covers new buildings, renovation of existing classrooms, and new equipment.
The ceremonial opening was attended by SFD CEO Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, Sri Lankan Parliament Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih, and Saudi Ambassador Khalid Hamoud Al-Qahtani.
“We believe that building universities is not limited to constructing buildings only, but is the foundation for a brighter future and the building of bridges of understanding and knowledge between peoples,” Al-Qahtani told Arab News.
“This project represents a model of what sincere developmental partnerships can achieve, based on respect and mutual cooperation, away from any agendas or conditions.”
Ameer Ajwad, Sri Lanka’s envoy to Saudi Arabia, said the project includes significant infrastructure development at the Kuliyapitiya and Makandura campuses of the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, benefiting over 5,000 students of both campuses.
“The project is expected to boost the university’s capacity to provide quality education and contribute to the long-term economic and social development of the surrounding communities living in the region,” he told Arab News.
The SFD has been a long-term partner of Sri Lanka, completing crucial developments such as the Colombo Water Supply and Sewerage Project, which improved the capital city’s urban water supply and sanitation infrastructure and benefitted tens of thousands of households, as well as the Kinniya Bridge — Sri Lanka’s longest bridge — connecting Trincomalee and Kinniya across the Koddiyar Bay.
Among the SFD-financed initiatives are also the Neuro‑Trauma Unit of the Colombo National Hospital and the Epilepsy Hospital and Health Centre — a specialized 242-bed epilepsy facility, also in the capital.
“The Wayamba University township development project is Saudi Arabia’s 11th development project in Sri Lanka. There are three more ongoing projects. One of them is also an educational development project; the Saudi Fund for Development provided $50 million for the construction of a medical faculty at the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka,” Ajwad said.
“The Saudi Fund for Development continues to play a crucial role in advancing key development projects in Sri Lanka, especially educational, health and infrastructure projects. Saudi Arabia was the only country that did not suspend disbursement of its funds to Sri Lanka and continued to fund despite Sri Lanka’s recent economic downturn.”
Trump threatens Russia with tariffs if war on Ukraine isn’t resolved within 50 days
- “We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days,” the Republican president said
- He said they would be “secondary tariffs,” meaning they would target Russia’s trading partners in an effort to isolate Moscow in global economy
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Monday he would punish Russia with tariffs if there isn’t a deal to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days, the latest example of his growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump made the announcement during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days,” the Republican president said. He said they would be “secondary tariffs,” meaning they would target Russia’s trading partners in an effort to isolate Moscow in the global economy. “I use trade for a lot of things,” Trump added. “But it’s great for settling wars.” Besides the tariff threat, Trump and Rutte discussed a rejuvenated pipeline for US weapons. European allies plan to buy military equipment and then transfer them to Ukraine. Trump said there would be “billions and billions” of dollars purchased.
Rutte said Germany, Finland, Canada, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Denmark would be among the buyers to supply Ukraine. He said “speed is of the essence here,” and he said the shipments should make Putin “reconsider” peace negotiations.
Trump exasperated with Putin
Trump has long boasted of his friendly relationship with Putin, and after taking office in January repeatedly said that Russia was more willing than Ukraine to reach a peace deal. At the same time, Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of prolonging the war and called him a “dictator without elections.”
But Russia’s relentless onslaught against civilian areas of Ukraine wore down Trump’s patience. In April, Trump urged Putin to “STOP!” launching deadly barrages on Kyiv, and the following month said in a social media post that the Russian leader “has gone absolutely CRAZY!” as the bombardments continued.
“It just keeps going on and on and on,” Trump said on Monday. “Every night, people are dying.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, met with Zelensky in Kyiv on Monday.
Zelensky said he had “a productive conversation” with Kellogg about strengthening Ukrainian air defenses, joint arms production and purchasing US weapons in conjunction with European countries, as well as the possibility of tighter international sanctions on the Kremlin.
“We hope for the leadership of the United States, because it is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its ... ambitions are stopped by force,” Zelensky said on Telegram.
Talks on sending Patriot missiles
Russia has pounded Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv, with hundreds of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles that Ukraine’s air defenses are struggling to counter. June brought the highest monthly civilian casualties of the past three years, with 232 people killed and 1,343 wounded, the UN human rights mission in Ukraine said. Russia launched 10 times more drones and missiles in June than in the same month last year, it said.
At the same time, Russia’s bigger army is making a new effort to drive back Ukrainian defenders on parts of the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line.
Trump confirmed the US is sending Ukraine more badly needed Patriot air defense missiles and that the European Union will pay the US for the “various pieces of very sophisticated” weaponry.
While the EU is not allowed under its treaties to buy weapons, individual EU member countries can and are, just as NATO member countries are buying and sending weapons.
Germany has offered to finance two Patriot systems, government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said Monday in Berlin. As far as other European countries financing more systems is concerned, that would have to be seen in talks, he said.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was traveling to Washington on Monday to meet with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Germany has already given three of its own Patriot systems to Ukraine, and Pistorius was quoted as saying in an interview with the Financial Times that it now has only six.
’Weapons flowing at a record level’
A top ally of Trump, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said Sunday that the conflict is nearing an inflection point as Trump shows growing interest in helping Ukraine fight back against Russia’s full-scale invasion. It’s a cause that Trump had previously dismissed as being a waste of US taxpayer money.
“In the coming days, you’ll see weapons flowing at a record level to help Ukraine defend themselves,” Graham said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” He added: “One of the biggest miscalculations Putin has made is to play Trump. And you just watch, in the coming days and weeks, there’s going to be a massive effort to get Putin to the table.”
Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s envoy for international investment who took part in talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia in February, dismissed what he said were efforts to drive a wedge between Moscow and Washington.
“Constructive dialogue between Russia and the United States is more effective than doomed-to-fail attempts at pressure,” Dmitriev said in a post on Telegram. “This dialogue will continue, despite titanic efforts to disrupt it by all possible means.”
Four confirmed dead in small plane crash at London regional airport
- Video footage had shown a 12-meter (39-feet) plane in flames with a plume of black smoke at Southend-on-Sea
LONDON: Four people were killed when a small plane crashed at a London regional airport at the weekend, UK police said on Monday.
The plane went down around 4:00 p.m. (1500 GMT) on Sunday, shortly after departing London Southend airport in southeast England for the Netherlands.
“Sadly, we can now confirm that all four people on board died,” Essex Police chief superintendent Morgan Cronin told reporters.
“We are working to officially confirm their identities. At this stage, we believe all four are foreign nationals,” he added.
Cronin said the force was interviewing dozens of witnesses, and detectives and forensic teams were working to “build an accurate picture of what happened.”
He added that the airport “will remain closed until further notice.”
Video footage had shown a 12-meter (39-feet) plane in flames with a plume of black smoke at Southend-on-Sea.
Police evacuated a nearby golf club and rugby club as a precaution.
According to the BBC, the plane was a Beechcraft B200.
Southend-on-Sea is about 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of the capital, and its airport is the sixth largest in the London area.
