Authorities in Sharjah received 60 per cent more calls in 2022, compared with the previous year, figures show.
The Sharjah Child and Family Protection Centre said it handled 3,487 reports from families, schools and children, up from 2,168 in 2021.
In the last quarter of 2022 alone, the centre received 1,449 reports, with the majority of them related to family disputes and online blackmail targeting children.
“Children neglected or abused by their families often seek solace and companionship through online interactions with strangers,” said Kholoud Al Ali, director of the centre.
"This makes them vulnerable to cyber criminals who manipulate and exploit their emotional fragility.
“Many cases we receive at the centre are similar to this scenario because of parents’ absence and failure to secure the most important right for their child, which is family security.”
She said the centre introduced a voice note service which has made it easier for children to report incidents of abuse directly.
“They can access this service easily and submit their report to get the help and protection they need,” Ms Al Ali said.
She said the centre continues to raise awareness among children and families through programmes, training courses and workshops that are designed by experts for each age group.
“We organise workshops aimed at increasing awareness of child protection, targeting not only families and educational institutions across the emirate but also hospitals, health centres, public and private departments,” she said.
These workshops cover various topics including physical and emotional abuse, online safety, and legal rights, to equip participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to protect children from harm.
Children are also trained on how to report incidents to the centre.
She said the centre was dedicated to creating a safe environment for children in Sharjah.
“The centre's efforts in raising awareness, providing resources, and facilitating reporting channels are crucial steps in combating the issue of child abuse and ensuring the well-being of children in the UAE.”
Since it was launched in 2007, and until end of last year, the helpline at Sharjah Child and Family Protection Centre has received a total of 12,327 reports.
Fixtures
Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11
August 9
Liverpool v Norwich 11pm
August 10
West Ham v Man City 3.30pm
Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm
Burnley v Southampton 6pm
C Palace v Everton 6pm
Leicester v Wolves 6pm
Watford v Brighton 6pm
Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm
August 11
Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm
Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
