YEREVAN (RFE/RL)—Armenia has joined in the largely symbolic celebration of the birth of the world’s seven billionth person expected by the United Nations on Monday.
A baby boy born into the Voskanian family in the northern Armenian town of Artik 20 minutes past midnight on Monday was declared by the Armenia office of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to be the seven billionth living person on Earth.
Thousands of babies are born around the world every hour, and it is hardly possible to precisely tell which of the newborns gets the honor of taking the human race to that landmark. Therefore, the United Nations has apparently decided to go without officially naming anyone to be that child, with every country picking its own honoree.
Talking to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am), UNFPA Armenia Country Office Executive Representative Garik Hayrapetian said the estimation of the world population is based on “a very serious scientific approach.” Still, he added: “Five children are born every second, and I don’t think it is possible to tell exactly which child is born to be the seventh billion.”
The baby in Artik, who was named Vahram, was born two weeks prematurely. He weighs 2.9 kilograms (or about 6 pounds and 6 ounces) and is now under the supervision of local doctors. Vahram’s parents are residents of the nearby village of Pemzashen.
His father, Garik Voskanian, was not in town to celebrate the occasion with his family. Like many in this economically depressed area he had gone to Russia as a migrant worker. His close relatives say, however, he will come back soon to see his son.
The UN office undertook to provide Vahram with all essential items in the postnatal period, while the maternity hospital in Artik issued a special certificate to the little one and the town’s mayor gave him a letter of gratitude.
The maternal hospital in Artik was chosen for the symbolic celebration as an establishment that by its level of equipment and the number of recorded births yields to other similar centers in Armenia. The UN office on Monday donated a mobile echoscope to the center.
The UN estimates that the number of living persons on the planet will reach eight billion in 2025, while the world population is expected to hit the 10-billion mark in 2083.
1. UN declared that Phillipino baby symbolically to be No 7 bln.
2. Who would give a damm if the 7. bln child was Armenian?
3. The 6. bl child in Bosnia (1999) was close to starvijg and nobody gave a damn either.
4. Chances are less than 1:2300 that the 7. bln child was born in Armenia.
5. World population is estimated to reach 10 bln in 2050, which makes sense seeing as how it was 1 bln less twelve years ago.
Who the hell are you to speak about the Armenian baby. Why are you here anyway. Go find new pastures yourself.
We are very proud of every new born Armenian child. One more soldier in our army.
Long live Armenians!!!
“One more soldier in our army.”
Obvious troll is obvious. Why not delete such comments, asbarez? Although… I guess such comments suit “articles” like this one…
“Why not delete such comments, asbarez?” Because you’re a worthless little piece of Ottoman Basil, simple as that, your stupid behavior only reflects the aggressive personality of your idiotic country. Go get some brains, you seriously need them. And please look at yourself not a single Armenian goes on your dumb websites and posts such incoherent (and full of grammar mistakes) comments because we simply don’t give a damn about you and other little insignificant losers of your kind.
I wish a long and happy life to this wonderful Armenian baby boy!
Basil
At least you can be nice and wish the baby a long and happy life since he was born in an underprivleged family
I wish the baby a long and happy life, just like I wish only the best to all decent Armenian folk.
I don’t get the point of this article though.
Don’t get the point? Don’t comment.
If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all.
Thanks 🙂
Such a cute name he has 🙂 I wish him a long and happy life with all his beloveds, long life to Hayastan !