Asunción, 16 August 2022 (TDI): Paraguay celebrated National Children’s Day today. Children’s Day is celebrated worldwide; however, the date varies from country to country.
The holiday is celebrated in Paraguay on 16 August each year to commemorate the children who lost their lives in the Battle of Acosta Ñu during the Paraguayan War.
UNICEF’s remarks on the day
UNICEF Paraguay expressed its best wishes to Paraguayan children on the Day.
Calling it a “boy’s and girl’s day,” UNICEF remarked that every child and adolescent has the right to health, education, participation and to be protected from violence, exploitation, and abandonment.
¡Día del niño y la niña!😍
Cada niño, niña y adolescente tiene derecho a la salud, educación, participación y a ser protegidos de la violencia, explotación y abandono.Desde UNICEF seguiremos cooperando con el Paraguay para que cada infancia tenga sus derechos garantizados. pic.twitter.com/I0Dq2P1boB
— UNICEF Paraguay (@UNICEFParaguay) August 16, 2022
It further stated that UNICEF would continue to cooperate with Paraguay so that every child has their rights guaranteed.
The Paraguayan War
The Paraguayan War was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay from 1864 to 1870. The Battle of Acosta Ñu, also known as the Battle of Children, took place on August 16, 1869. Most adult Paraguayan men were killed, captured, or severely wounded, so youngsters, women, and children had to fight.
In the Battle of Acosta Ñu, the Paraguayan force consisted of 500 adult men and about 3,500 children. While the triple alliance force comprised 20,000 soldiers. The Allied forces won the conflict handily. Around 2,000 Paraguayan youngsters perished in battle, while another 1,200 were captured and put to death.
Subsequently, Paraguayan Children’s Day was established to commemorate the kids who died in the Battle of Acosta Ñu.
Despite the holiday’s sorrowful history, it is observed not just with ceremonies of grief but also with exciting activities for children.
