8 million Ugandan children live in abject poverty

By Cecilia Okoth

Eight million out of the 20 million children in Uganda are languishing in abject poverty, a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) official has said.

 Jaya Murthy, the UNICEF spokesperson said the eight million, are deprived of many basic services such as food, health care, education, safe water and participation in decision making.

Murthy made the remarks at the launch of a strategic partnership between Uganda Child Rights Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Network (UCRNN) and UNICEF, aimed at advancing child rights in Uganda.

  Presenting a summary of the situation of Uganda’s children, Murthy said many children do not enjoy their fundamental rights, citing parents as the biggest culprits of these children’s deprivation of rights.  

“Two million children under the age of five are currently malnourished and are experiencing stunted growth, inflicting an irreparable situation in their lives,” Murthy said, adding that under nutrition and physical stunted growth alone costs Uganda 6.5percent of its GDP.

In Uganda, 57 percent of the population is composed of children, making it the second youngest country in the world with a big population of the young.

The partnership is set to advocate for children around the “#InvestInUGchildren” campaign to ensure that the lives of children in Uganda especially those that are most deprived and poor are improved and their fundamental rights protected and promoted.

 Stella Ayo Odongo, the Executive Director UCRNN the child focused organisations that interact with the children on a daily basis, have first-hand information about the children.

 She said the investment of children will take different forms such as micro finance programmes aimed at providing cash transfers to the most vulnerable children and setting up nutritional camps through the child nutrition coalition to ensure parents feed their children with a balanced diet.
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