Tuesday 11 July 2006

FACTBOX: Dangers facing children around the world

MK: Kidnappings, rape and forced labour are some of the horrors inflicted on children highlighted in a Reuters AlertNet poll released on Tuesday to identify the world's most dangerous places to be a child.

Here are some statistics for dangers faced by children around the globe:

  • Nearly 11 million children a year -- about 30,000 a day -- die before their fifth birthday, mostly from preventable causes.
  • Out of 100 children born in 2000, 30 will likely suffer malnutrition, 26 will not be immunised and 17 will never go to school.
  • An estimated 218 million children are used for labour. Millions work in especially horrific circumstances, including the virtual slavery of bonded labour.
  • An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked each year for labour or sex.
  • About 1 million children are thought to be exploited in the multi-billion dollar sex industry.
  • There are over 300,000 child soldiers, some as young as eight, in more than 30 countries.
  • More than 2 million children are thought to have died as a direct result of armed conflict in the past decade.
  • Up to 10,000 children are killed or maimed by landmines each year.
  • An estimated 100 million women and girls have undergone genital mutilation.

(Reuters Source: Unicef, International Labour Organization.)

1 comment:

  1. Have a wonderful time at the wedding this weekend, sorry we can't see you before you left. Hope to see you in Colorado shortly
    PC

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