REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, UNITED NATIONS -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday deplored the fact that the world is letting children down by allowing them to go through hardships and suffering.

"I am sorry to say that, try as we might, we adults are letting you down," he told a gathering of children at UN Headquarters in New York on the occasion of World Children's Day, which falls on Nov. 20.

"Millions of girls and boys like you are in danger, and we are letting them down. They are fleeing deadly conflicts. They are going hungry, or without the medicine they need. They are separated from their parents, or making long, dangerous journeys to safety. They are displaced and living in refugee camps far from home," he said.

"Many are being bullied online or in school, or suffer from discrimination because of their religion, the color of their skin, or their ethnicity. And so often, they are victims of violence or exploitation at the hands of adults."