|
|
|
Evolution of a crisis: A Save the Children UK perspective
|
|
|
4. THE IMPACT OF THE FOOD CRISIS ON CHILDREN
|
| |
|
Children are food secure when their right to sufficient food at all times - so that they grow and develop properly and are able to lead active, healthy lives - is realised, protected and promoted.
|
The Southern African humanitarian crisis has enormous implications for children, since 60 per cent of the region's population are aged under 18.
Most households have little capacity to cope with food shortages, and even where food is available, prices
have increased beyond their reach. When times are difficult, children have to help out by searching for
wild foods or by working to boost household earnings in order to buy more food - if it is available.
Their education suffers as a result because of missed schooling; they may even be withdrawn from school
altogether. In any case, given the limited opportunities for expanding existing activities or attempting
new ones, the main coping mechanism that households are likely to employ is that of cutting back on meals.
Hunger itself can be a key reason for children dropping out of school; even if parents could afford fees,
children may find it difficult to walk the often long distances to school on an empty stomach.
In Zimbabwe, it has been reported that 18% of households have removed one or more children from school as
a coping mechanism against the food crisis6.
Malnutrition
The long-term consequences of malnutrition are profound7. Poor nutrition will impact children in utero and continues throughout the lifecycle, especially in women. This in turn increases the risk to the individual's health but also reduces the ability of normal foetal growth. This may also lead to a limited capacity to cope with stresses and to offer adequate child care.
Under-nourished children fall ill recurrently and their physical and mental development is less than optimal. This vicious cycle severely restricts the development of the future work-force who may show a reduced work capacity. Numerous studies have shown that stunting (due to long-term inadequate food intake) is closely linked to mental development, irrespective of social status. Wasting (as a result of serious short-term lack of food) is of great concern because of its close links to rates of illness and death.
Child protection
Any situation that leads to populations becoming reliant on others intrinsically makes them more vulnerable. Food aid programmes can themselves undermine child protection. The landmark study undertaken by UNHCR and SC UK in West Africa has indicated the high risks of transactional sex between aid workers, abusing their position of power, and young women.
There are implications of food insecurity on women and children's labour in the domestic environment. Children sent to collect rations can suffer harm from carrying weights that are too heavy for them. Girls in particular are kept out of school to go and collect rations or may be forced to engage in prostitution to raise money for the family. In some communities/families, at the time of food shortages, access to food becomes a gender issue. The registration system can discriminate against certain types of household: for example, those headed by a child, such as one where one or both parents have died of AIDS, may not be registered to receive food rations. Young men with very limited access to employment can be obliged to turn to petty crime, in turn criminalising them and further reducing their household access to support.
SC UK has started discussions with WFP and UNICEF to ensure that issues of child protection and HIV awareness are provided as part of the essential elements of a quality emergency response. The current plans are to ensure that all personnel involved in the food distribution chain are trained and provided with follow up support on HIV prevention for themselves and their sexual partners.
The three agencies have agreed to design, develop and implement a regional training initiative to ensure that all staff as well as all partners (including commercial partners) receive training on the prevention of sexual and other forms of exploitation. A training company has been contracted to create a series of modules, specific to the different populations working on humanitarian relief in Southern Africa. Trainers will be contracted in each of the six countries, corresponding to the EMOP, to provide training for programme managers, operational managers (food monitors, warehouse staff, store managers), food distributors/volunteers at distribution points and truckers (both long-haul and local). The training is due to begin before the end of October and will continue for 2-3 months in the first phase.
It is hoped that the local trainers will be from agencies that are already involved in child protection and therefore this will be the start for ongoing discussion at agency and community level about child protection. SC UK, WFP and UNICEF will subsequently evaluate the longer-term impact of this training.
HIV/AIDS
Southern Africa has the highest HIV infection rates in the world, with young women having the highest rates. In some areas that are food shortage affected, these rates are in excess of 40%. Young women usually have rates four to five times higher than men of the same age, highlighting the gender and economic inequalities. That part of the population which are most economically active are also at high risk. For example, in Swaziland, 33% of 15-49 year olds are living with HIV/AIDS and, in Zimbabwe, 2 million people in this age group are affected.
The current food shortage is taking place at a time when the impact of HIV is increasingly being felt within communities - it is hitting families that have progressively become more food insecure because of the impact of sickness and cost of care and treatment on households. The food crisis will put even greater strains on families who are already very vulnerable, and place them at even greater risk. Food insecurity increases the likelihood of HIV infection and the likelihood of children being affected by the illness of others in their families. At the same time, HIV and AIDS exacerbate children's problems in accessing food. Households affected by HIV/AIDS have greater costs of healthcare and therefore less money for food. They often have to sell off their assets to pay for care, and their income is already reduced because they are less able to work. The burden of care and work often falls on children, who may be taken out of school. Children who lose their parents often lose their rights to property and land. Reduced access to education and to social or agricultural education also affects their longer-term chances for economic survival and reduces the opportunities to learn about how to grow food from their elders. Others who migrate for work or to access food are also often at increased risk of HIV infection, being away from their spouses or other forms of social protection.
Threat of violence
Children are at risk in situations where people are having to migrate because of the food crisis. There is already a steady trickle of migrants into South Africa and Botswana from Zimbabwe. Children are at greater risk of being exploited - both physically and sexually; being separated from their families and falling into child labour traps as well as taking to the streets where they are likely to be faced with various forms of violence, especially when they get in to trouble with the law. In the Limpopo Province of South Africa, there are already reports of Zimbabwean children as young as twelve years working in maize factories until late at night in order to receive maize and some money for their work. There are already cases of child sex workers at Beitbridge crossing (and along the Maputo corridor).
During deportation of economic migrants from South Africa, children involved are treated exactly the same as adults with no special consideration of child protection issues that may be involved. In Lesotho and Malawi there is evidence of children (and adults) being beaten and sometimes disabled by angry communities when the children have been caught stealing food from the fields. With the food situation worsening in many of the southern Africa countries, large scale migration is likely to happen.
Migration
Since December 2001, SC UK has mounted a continuing emergency preparedness and contingency plan to keep abreast of regional migration issues. The focus of this work has been based on concerns of population movements out of Zimbabwe, in view of a worsening humanitarian environment caused by food shortages and the possible displacement of commercial farm workers.
Contingency planning has been set in place in Malawi and Mozambique to deal with a serious 'refugee' influx. A detailed preparedness plan has been introduced for the South Africa programme that has a strong capacity building approach with local government in the health, nutrition and child protection sectors. The focus is on Limpopo Province which could be the most likely destination for Zimbabwean migrants.
The Save the Children regional office keeps in contact with regional UNHCR structures, particularly in Botswana to monitor the movements of Zimbabwean migrants in the region.
Footnotes:
- Zimbabwe National Vulnerability Assessment Committee (2002) Zimbabwe Emergency Food Security Assessment Report. 16 September 2002.
- James P et al (2000) Ending malnutrition by 2020: an agenda for change in the Millennium. UN Administrative Coordinating Committee/Sub-Committee on Nutrition, [ACC/SCN] 2000
|
|
