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WHO ARE CHILDREN AT RISK
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child states that all children have the right to:
Love and Security
Food
Survival and Development
Parental Care
A Decent Place to Live
Health and Health Services
Protection From Abuse
Education
Rest and Leisure
Children who do not routinely experience all of the above are considered to be "Children at Risk." At risk of further exploitation and suffering.
The current world population is approximately 6 billion. One-half of that world population (3 billion) are under 15 years of age. Of those, 2 billion live in abject poverty. Therefore, at least 2 billion children do not enjoy even their basic rights. These children are considered CHILDREN AT RISK.
AIDS
The global HIV/AIDS epidemic killed more than 3 million people in 2003, and an estimated 5 million acquired HIV bringing to 40 million the number of people living with the virus around the world.
Every 50 seconds a child becomes infected with HIV and another dies from an AIDS related illness.
By 2010, there will be approximately 20 million children in sub-Saharan Africa who have lost at least one parent to HIV/AIDS, bringing the total number of orphans in the region to 42 million.
Southern Africa is home to about 30% of people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide, yet this region has less than 2% of the world's population.
(UNAIDS and UNICEF)
STREET CHILDREN
According to the UN there are 100 - 140 million street children worldwide.
To count all 140 million street kids of the world it would take 4 years and 5 months.
Some governments in the world say that the street child phenomenon is becoming the greatest problem of the 21st century.
(UN)
CHILD LABOUR
250 million children between the ages of five and fourteen work in developing countries – at least 120 million full time.
73 million working children are less than 10 years old.
8.4 million children are trapped in slavery.
(HRW and ILO)
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
Worldwide, an estimated 10 million children are victim's of today's sex industry.
An estimated 1 million children are believed to enter the multi billion dollar market per year.
The worst affected area for child prostitution in Asia, where 1 million children are sexually exploited. An estimated 30,000 children in India are in the sex trade, along with between 80,000 and 800,00 children in Thailand.
(UNICEF and FREE THE CHILDREN)
CHILDREN OF WAR
Around the world, 300 000 persons under the ages of 18 - some as young as 7 - are being exploited as child soldiers.
2 million children have been killed in wars worlwide in the past decade.
6 million children have been disabled.
Over 1 million have been orphaned.
10 million have been psychologically traumatized.
Countless numbers of children, especially girls, have been raped or subjected to other forms of sexual violence as deliberate instruments of war.
(UNICEF)
GIRL CHILD
60 to 100 million girls have "gone missing" from the world's population - victims of feticide, infantcide, malnurtrition and neglect.
Approximately 2 million girls are forced to undergo genital mutilation each year.
(UNICEF)
"The needs are growing - and so are the dangers. Homeless on the streets, fighting in armies, abused by pimps, without a family, and with no education but the rigours of life in the raw, the needy children of the world call to us." Patrick McDonald (VIVA Network)
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