According to Kanoon General Directorate for Public Relations and International Affairs, while National Children’s Week is going on (Oct 8 to 14, 2021) the representative of UNICEF in Iran congratulated children of Iran in a video message. He said the pandemic has affected children and adolescents’ lives and souls especially children with special needs. He hoped to pass the crisis soon by following the protocols. 

He asked teachers and parents to pay special attention to the children around them. 

Coinciding with National Children's Week, many officials of international children's festivals have sent separate messages congratulating Iranian children this week.

This is Robin Nandi’s message:

Dear Children and Adolescents and Dear Parents, Teachers, caregivers and all those of you working for and with children,

I am Dr. Robin Nandy, UNICEF’s Representative in the Islamic Republic of Iran. On behalf of my team, I would like to congratulate you all on the occasion of Children’s Day and Children’s week 

We are all aware of the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on children – on their physical and mental well-being and the interruption of their social interactions and learning. Most school yards were empty, and you hear an eerie silence when you pass by schools. Children hide their screams and laughter behind their masks and have spent more time indoors than they would have wished. Some may have had very limited in-person contact with friends and many have gone through the anxiety and pain of COVID-19 infections in their homes. Some have even suffered the loss of loved ones. Among them, there are vulnerable children, such as children with disabilities or special needs and children living in poverty who have suffered the most.

But I see a light at the end of the tunnel. If we continue to do the right things, like getting vaccinated when you are eligible to receive vaccines and taking all necessary precautions to prevent COVID-19 transmissions such as wearing masks, maintaining distance and ensuring good hand hygiene practices, we will be able to resume normal lives.

Until then and as we celebrate children’s week, let’s be more attentive to children and adolescents around us. Let us, as parents, spend more quality time with them Let us be reminded that the best gift we can give our children is time and attention. Engage with them; play with them; encourage them to communicate openly and listen to them without judgement. It is this engagement that will help our children address their challenges and cope during these unusual and unnatural times. 

Let us all look forward with hope towards better dayswhen our children can play again with their friends in school yards and playgrounds and scream and laughtogether. 

Happy children’s day to all.