LONDON (Thomson
Reuters Foundation) - The global economic crisis has plunged 2.6 million
children into poverty in the world's most affluent countries, with children in
Ireland, Latvia and Greece among the hardest hit, a new UNICEF report showed.
"Many affluent
countries have suffered a 'great leap backwards' in terms of household income,
and the impact on children will have long-lasting repercussions for them and
their communities," said Jeffrey O'Malley, UNICEF's head of global policy
and strategy.
Child poverty levels
have increased in more than half of the 41 countries in the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Union analysed by
UNICEF.
In Greece, which
imposed harsh austerity measures to meet the terms of an international bailout,
more than 40 percent of children were living in poverty by 2012.
Children's economic
wellbeing improved in 18 countries, including Australia and Finland,
highlighting the benefits of having a strong social safety net to protect the
young and most vulnerable, the "Children of the Recession" report
said.
"UNICEF research
shows that the strength of social protection policies was a decisive factor in
poverty prevention," O'Malley said in a statement. "All countries
need strong social safety nets to protect children in bad times and in good -
and wealthy countries should lead by example."
While early stimulus
programmes in some countries helped to protect children, by 2010 a majority of
countries had adopted budget cuts, with negative impact on children,
particularly in Mediterranean countries, such as Italy, Greece and Portugal.
(Πηγή: in.reuters.com)
