UNICEF: 50 pct of children from Romanian rural areas live in poverty

Newsroom 29/06/2016 | 13:50

A recent UNICEF study revealed Romania’s rate of poverty among children is almost two times bigger than the rate among adults.

According to the global UNICEF study “The State of the World’s Children 2016”, Eastern Europe deals with the highest risk of poverty among children.

In Bulgaria and Romania the poverty rate for children is double the rate for adults. Children from rural areas are more exposed to the risk of poverty than those raised in urban areas. In Romania, 50 percent of children from rural areas live in houses risking poverty, whereas the risk for children living in cities reaches 15 percent.

The UNICEF study also shows that 45 percent of Roma children do not receive free vaccinations granted by the Ministry of Health through the National Immunization Program due to refusal, lack of information or education among parents or the deficiencies in the primary healthcare.

The poverty rate also affects the education rate among children, as studies reveal 12 million teenagers are not part of the education system. The children included in this category are those from poor families, as well as ethnicity and linguistic minorities. In Romania, one in five children between 15 and 18 that do not attend school belong in the Roma minority group.

“In the last 25 years, Romania has made significant progress in promoting and respecting children’s rights. As the “State of the World’s Children 2016” study shows, there is a continuous need for political commitment, resources and collective will,” said Sandie Blanchet, the UNICEF representative in Romania.

“To improve children’s lives, we are working with Romanian authorities and the civil society to ensure that every child has access to basic quality healthcare, education and children’s protection services,” she added.