TEHRAN-The Iranian 3D animation “Smart Kid,” which has been titled the best-selling animation and children’s film in the country, will dedicate a part of its sales proceeds to the deprived children of Iran and Gaza.

Honar Pooya Animation Studio and the Center for Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescent, which have jointly produced the animated film, have announced that one percent of the proceeds from the sale of the movie will be donated to the underprivileged children in the two regions, Honaronline reported.

The producers said in a statement that “they wish happiness and fulfillment of childhood dreams for all oppressed and innocent children around the world. Hoping that one day the whole world will be full of joy and peace, we have agreed on this decision”.

Produced by Hamed Jafari, the animation has sold close to $1 million since the beginning of its release across the country and brought about 1.1 million viewers to cinemas.

Directed by Behnoud Nekouiee, Mohammad Javad Jannati and Hadi Mohammadian, “Smart Kid” had its national premier at the 41st Fajr Film Festival in Tehran in February, where it won the Best Animation award.  

It tells the story of Mohsen, a little boy who loves superheroes. He always tries to help anybody he comes across. Once he encounters an expired Iranian species and he decides to help the animal to get back to his homeland. However, a trip to the heart of the jungle, fighting the hunters and facing expired creatures is the start of a complicated adventure for Mohsen.

Hooman Hajabdollahi, Mina Qiaspour, Mir Tahari Mazloumi, Hedayat Hashemi, Javad Pezeshkian, Touraj Nasr, Mahsa Erfani, and Nazanin Yari are among the voice actors.

Over 5,300 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7 amid widespread airstrikes by the Israeli military. Based on the figures, children account for 40 percent of the deaths in Gaza. 

The Gaza Strip is the “most dangerous place in the world to be a child,” UNICEF Executive Director said on Wednesday.

“In addition to bombs, rockets, and gunfire, Gaza's children are at extreme risk from catastrophic living conditions. One million children – or really all children inside the territory – are now food insecure; facing what could soon become a catastrophic nutrition crisis,” Catherine Russell said at the UN Security Council briefing on the protection of children in Gaza on November 22.

“Children who manage to survive the war are likely to see their lives irrevocably altered through repeated exposure to traumatic events. The violence and upheaval around them can induce toxic stress that interferes with their physical and cognitive development. Even before this latest escalation, more than 540,000 children in Gaza – half of its entire child population – were identified as needing mental health and psychosocial support,” she noted.

“The public health risks in Gaza are compounded by the virtual shutdown of the health care system. More than two-thirds of hospitals are no longer functioning because of the lack of fuel and water, or because they sustained catastrophic damage in attacks,” the official stressed.

“We are also seeing devastating attacks on schools, with close to 90% of all school buildings sustaining damage. Nearly 80% of the remaining school facilities are being used as shelters for internally displaced people. But even these spaces, where children and families have sought safety after fleeing their homes, have come under attack,” she underlined.

“The destruction of Gaza and killing of civilians will not bring peace or safety to the region. The people of this region deserve peace. Only a negotiated political solution – one that prioritizes the rights and wellbeing of this and future generations of Israeli and Palestinian children – can ensure that. I urge the parties to heed this call, starting with a humanitarian ceasefire as the first step on the path to lasting peace. And I urge you, as Members of the Security Council, to do everything in your power to end this catastrophe for children,” Russell concluded.

SS/SAB