Facts On Children Living In Haiti

There are a lot of facts to know about children in Haiti. Primary school is attended by just about 20% of the children and after primary grade many of the children don't attend school. Many of the schools barely have canteens or cafeterias.

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Estimates On Status Of Haitian Children As Per 1998
As per estimates of 1998, the death rate per 1000 children was 99. Lack of care and medication are the main reasons for 25% to 30% death of children in the provinces. It is through a church that the missionaries support around 60% of the private schools in Haiti. Around 60% of the children hardly get three meals per day. Many of the children have no breakfast or lunch.

Children in thousands suffer from malnutrition. Illiteracy rate in Haiti remains at 65% and the rate of unemployment stands at 65% to 70%. As per the 1998 estimates, life expectancy in Haiti is 51 to 52 years.

Children Orphaned After The Devastating Earthquake
After the earthquake that devastated Haiti, the Haitian authorities continue to struggle to cope with orphaned children and those abandoned by the parents, in thousands. Children were accommodated by the volunteers in a small army and the five hundred orphanages.

Some of the children have been united with relatives. A global outcry arose when some of the missionaries from US, were accused of smuggling out thirty three children from Haiti after the devastating earthquake. It emerged later that the children had parents and were not orphans and the issue became big.

Easing Out The Crisis
Children continue to live on the streets even if aid has been flown in millions of dollars to ease out the crisis. A pediatric nurse, Michael Brewer has been working with a project for 12 years called Haiti's 'Phantom' street children which are the most vulnerable having no family or any relative. They are vulnerable to traffickers who could pick them up and take them across to Dominican Republic.

Children depend a lot on the kindness, showered by strangers. Families are not able to look after their children and put them up for adoption abroad. The move of foreign aid organizations to help children move to other countries abroad and live a new life has been given a lot of support. If proper legal procedures are followed then adoption process can be done properly, states Jean-Max Bellerive, the Prime Minister of Haiti.

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Read more: child, Malnutrition, Literacy, Canteen, Orphan, Abandoned Child, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Street Children, child

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