Omar Farrugia Calls For Global Action To Protect Children Caught In Gaza Conflict

Youth Minister Omar Farrugia has strongly condemned violence against children in war zones, saying the international community cannot remain silent in the face of their suffering.

Speaking in Parliament, Farrugia referred to the recent exchange at the United Nations between Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, and Malta’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vanessa Frazier.

During the meeting, Danon told Frazier to “be quiet” while discussions were taking place on the impact of conflict on children.

Responding to the incident, Farrugia delivered a blunt message.

“The person who should be quiet is the one who shoots at children, rapes these children and kills these children,” he said.

The minister stressed that Malta has consistently spoken out against violence targeting children and said the focus should remain on the victims rather than the confrontation itself.

He praised the work being carried out by Vanessa Frazier and UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pamela Patten, saying their efforts deserve greater attention.

“When someone tells you to be quiet, we must listen more,” Farrugia told Parliament.

The minister also highlighted alarming figures presented during the discussion, noting that more than 830,000 grave violations against children have been verified globally, affecting nearly 520,000 children.

He also pointed to reports indicating that 113 children in Gaza have died from starvation.

Concluding his remarks, Farrugia emphasised that the victims at the heart of these conflicts are children, not combatants, and urged the international community to continue speaking out and taking action to protect them.

His comments come as Malta continues to advocate for stronger international action on humanitarian issues affecting civilians, particularly children caught in armed conflicts.

What do you make of these remarks?

Video credits to @farrugiaomar

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Gabriel Falzon

Gabriel Falzon is a social media executive at Lovin Malta, with a keen interest in digital media, local businesses, and the natural world. Outside of work, you’ll often find him baking up a storm, diving into video games, or exploring the endless corners of YouTube.