Unicef.street children.EN

Forum: UNICEF

Issue: Taking care of street children

Chair: Nina Eriksson

Introduction

The phenomenon of street children is, today, considered as the most important issue regarding children, in developed countries as well as in developing countries. Amongst 2.2 billion children in the world the United Nations estimate that the number of street children is in between 100 and 150 million. These children, aged from 5 to 18, find themselves alone and can’t or won’t return to their home. While childhood is a period which requires stability in a protective domestic environment, the child might find himself on the streets in various circumstances. According to UNICEF, there are three categories of street children which exist: the children living on the streets, the children working on the streets and the children whose families live on the streets.

The situation of a street child can vary in danger. In fact, the majority have no access to education, are abused and find themselves being exploited in order to feed themselves. These children can be trafficked, prostituted; they can also make or sell inexpensive drugs and be submitted to child labour. Some are forced to steal to meet their needs. In these situations, hygiene conditions are poor and the children suffer from malnutrition, chronic undernourishment or starvation and occasionally diseases.

A street child is insufficiently protected and monitored and many consume drugs on a daily basis (cannabis and consumption of solvents like glue). They are treated as homeless and are ignored by the majority of the population. Studying street children cases, it is necessary to find solutions in the long term and short term to meet the needs of these children.

Definition of key terms

Vulnerability: temporary or chronic, the notion of vulnerability can apply itself to an individual, a group of people, to places or systems (company, organisations). It’s fragility, powerlessness against the external factors such as : sickness, infirmities, natural catastrophes; social exclusion and poverty. Vulnerability results from disadvantageous circumstances and the ability to adapt. Street children are further vulnerable against the exploitation and the dangers of the city than any other children.

Child: without gender distinction, a child is a human being during the first years of his life before becoming an adult. Childhood is a physical and psychological stage of development as well as a period of discovery and first experiences. The word “child” refers to the family member whose parents take care of in a warm hearted environment.

Children of the street: a minor without shelter who left his home due to family conflicts or the loss of either one or both parents. A street child grows up on the streets, in public landfills, at train stations or rural areas. They are daily confronted by the numerous difficulties such as lack of financial resources and social exclusion.

According to the report by the Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues, a street child is “any minor person for whom the street has become his usual place of residence, and this person can not find adequate protection.

Overview

Nick Brandt, Underpass with Elephants (lean back, your life is on track), Inherit the Dust, 2015

History

The phenomenon of street children goes back to the Middle Ages and the 11th century in Europe. But it isn’t before the 16th century, in England, that the first “children’s home” appeared. Even though the home center offered a shelter to children, the living conditions were appalling and children were kept indoors. Over the years, many attempts to answer these questions have followed but without success.

In the 20th century, the issue of street children has gained greater importance when international organisations started becoming interested in the children’s rights. Taking new measures such as the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, ratified by 191 states, have brought a real change concerning the problem.

The causes of the phenomenon of street children

A child can take the decision of leaving his home, without understanding the consequences. But there is an explanation for their departure; they often feel threatened and are under pressure (domestic, verbal or physical abuse), especially if their family is already underprivileged. The majority of them have been abused and forced to work by their own parents, and in many cases, they witness the breakdown of their parents’ relationship. In other cases, the parents regularly consume drugs or think about committing suicide. Other reasons exist for their departure from their home such as: migration of villagers to the city, war, army conflicts and natural disasters. In a large family, it is often the youngest who leaves home, as his family can’t meet all of their children’s needs

This is the case in developing countries as children are more often forced to leave their household rather than them leaving by their own choice.

The consequences

These thousands of children are scattered around the world; we find them in almost all big cities There are especially in South America, Central Africa, South and Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe.

According to UNICEF, the number of street children is impossible to quantify as street children move from one city to another and have no identity papers. Only the estimates of local associations recognise that several tens of thousands of street children exist. Furthermore, it is likely that this number will rise due to wars or current army conflicts and their economic consequences, even though the awareness of the phenomenon of street children is increasing. This growth is suggestive of the violation of some of the rights of street children contained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, such as the right to education, health, nourishment and to physical protection.

Children on the street are mostly boys as street dangers require girls to rapidly seek and find shelter. Almost half of the girls living on the streets have been raped or sexualy abused and more than half of the boys are physically abused. Generally, girls carry out domestic work and are therefore hidden, yet boys work on the streets and are more visible. They sell goods, polish shoes, clean windshields and beg just to have enough to survive. These girls and boys can be employed by employers, other street children ou simple passers by. They are frequently economically exploited, which means working long hours with an extremely low salary, working during the night in conditions which lack hygiene or in situations at risk of accidents. It is hard for them to find an adequate employment, except for those who are helped by NGOs and associations, they rarely, if not anymore, go to school.

Shoe shining by street children in Pakistan

When they arrive on the streets, they are generally in good health, but their condition worsens gradually and rapidly. Many are those who suffer from diverse diseases due to their low living conditions. Indeed, their hygiene conditions are not the same as the others, encouraging the propagation of epidemics and they are exposed to bad weather. The risk of being affected by HIV/AIDS is higher in street children rather than the other children due to rape or unprotected sexual intercourse and the consumption of drugs through bloodstream.

Society's view on street children is far from compassionate. Due to the hostile environment where they are forced to survive, they are characterised by violence, filth, selfishness, emotional and behavioural instability, delinquency, rebellion and distrust. They are subject to prejudice, seen as drug users and criminals. Many are assaulted or chased by the police without an apparent reason, some are even killed yet they aren’t responsible for those acts and their rights as children are often violated when they are arrested. In extreme cases, “groups of cleansing” exist, who kill these children in order to “clean the streets”.

Children are the most vulnerable to political and economic changes of the country or the community in which they find themselves, as they can’t interact like adults. It is then more difficult for a child to adapt to its environment than for an adult. The risk of the development of a parallel economy or of a black market based on child labour is important, which leads children and teenagers to prostitution, drug traffic and sometimes prison. Helping these children is excessively hard and takes months, if not years.

Children’s rights

In many countries, street children are considered as illegal. They are hunted as such by the police or private security agencies or even gangs.

The police or the government put certain of these children in correctional facilities, whereas non governmental organisations and religious communities are inspired by the model of readjustment to support street children. On one hand, authorities attempt to prevent street children from committing offences and crimes, whereas NGOs rather help them living in better conditions and integrate themselves into society.

For street children, the rights registered in the official documents aren’t often respected since some are difficult to apply and others are easily not respected.

Right to life: while many children living on the streets have been killed, the article 6 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 assures that life is a right.

-Article 6:

1. States Parties recognize that every child has the inherent right to life.

2. States Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child

Furthermore, when we see the situation of street children, it is easy to see that there is a lack of protection and treatment, which are both fundamental rights of the child.

-Article 20:

1. A child temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment, or in whose own best interests cannot be allowed to remain in that environment, shall be entitled to special protection and assistance provided by the State.

2. States Parties shall in accordance with their national laws ensure alternative care for such a child.

-Article 24.1:

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health care services.

The right to education: articles 27 and 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 show that it is not normal for a child to be deprived of education.

The right to protection: like addressed before, street children suffer from mistreatment, sexual abuse, discrimination and lack of protection. Articles 34, 37 and 40 of the same convention show once again that the rights of street children are not respected.

Principal countries and organisations involved

India: The country with the most street children is India, whose estimation is between 10 and 40 million with an annual increase of more than 70000. There are twice as many boys than girls given that girls are more protected and supervised by their family than boys. More than 20 million work on the streets and many of them are part of organised gangs and beg. The average age is 13 and the majority are older than 8, but some are aged between 5 and 8. They are in the big cities such as : New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore. India is the second most populated country and the seventh biggest country in the world, but as well the country where there is the most forced child labour.

Brazil: South America has approximately 40 million street children. Brazil, followed by Mexico and then Colombia, has the highest number within the continent. Brazil has 8 million street children with more than 800000 prostituted children. One of the biggest issues is the mortality risk: these children are at high risk of being killed as minors, in particular by dangerous gangs who want to “clean the streets”. In Rio de Janeiro, authorities or local organisations estimate that 5 or 6 children are murdered per day. According to Amnesty International, it is the third cause of the death of these children.

Many find themselves on the streets without the possibility to acquire an education, yet education is extremely important for social promotion which contributes to a better life.

Kenya: Africa has 32 million street children. There are approximately 250000 street children in Kenya and more than 60000 in Nairobi, the country's capital. These children accumulate in big cities like the capital, Mombasa or Kisumu, due to the fast industrialisation following the colonisation. Large families living in rural areas send one or several of their children to the cities in order to bring back money to support the family. The majority, if not all, of street children in Kenya inhale glue daily; which according to UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) is part of the “street culture”. Indeed, when they can, these children use drugs, to forget momentarily the negative feelings that can be brought by life on the street.

Afghanistan: The whole of Asia counts more than 25 million street children. There are nearly one million street children in Afghanistan and according to UNICEF, 600000 work in Kabul- the capital. Most have lost one or both parents; they are aged under 14 years old and 80% are boys. 35% of children in Afghanistan work as beggars or hawkers and live on less than one euro per day. Due to several decades of war and army conflicts, the number of street children in Afghanistan rapidly increases and some are obliged to leave their province and their family to accumulate in the borders of big cities. Because of their physical disability, landmines victims, if they weren’t already street children, are abandoned. Other children, not only in Afghanistan but also in other countries in conflict, especially Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East have become soldiers. According to UNICEF, more than 250000 girls and boys under 18 years old are used as soldiers. Between the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan, a lot of illegal merchandise is exchanged between the children in order to sell them at a higher price in their country of origin. Even if this type of importation is prohibited by law, this trafficking like the flour traffic when the price increases, occur because adults are ready to purchase good to children when the population is hungry. NGOs exist which educate and feed children once a day, however they are few and therefore not sufficient to support the children’s needs.

Romania: Eastern Europe’s number of street children continually and rapidly increases. The situation is alarming given the fact that not only the living conditions of these children are deplorable but also because the negative view of others does not improve the circumstances. Most children living or working on the streets always maintain a relationship with their family and sometimes go to school. But many are displaced in other countries, in particular more developed countries and therefore more prosperous in the Western part of Europe in order to earn money. When they get enough money during their “travel”, which is occasionally possible, these children return home but can always leave to earn a living. However, they are intensely vulnerable to child trafficking and child labour.

In Romania, although many children found themselves on the streets after the fall of Communism, the number of street children has decreased of one third since the 2000s because they are illegally sent to other countries by harmful organisations. In Romania, contraception and abortions are encouraged in order to reduce the number of street children as thousands of unwanted children have been placed in orphanages where they are confronted with awful conditions.

Not many shelters exist for street children in difficulty in Romania, yet more than 20000 children are currently homeless.

Russian Federation: There are officially 700000 street children in Russia, when the organisations consider the number to be in between 2 and 4 million, which correlates with the most important number of minors implied with crime and abuse.

Following the instable political transitions, these children are left alone and many are illiterate. The majority have potential accommodations but are sent back to their homes or abandoned by their parents. Often, they were submitted to domestic violence when they had a home and when they arrive on the streets, they face modern slavery, including sex tourism.

UNICEF: UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) created on December 11, 1946, aims to promote the rights of the child which are often forgotten, ignored and not respected and to give an equal opportunity, especially to street children or underprivileged children.

In order to help street children, UNICEF attempts to save, protect and educate these children. Thanks to officials and thousands of volunteers on the ground, as well as emergency funds allowing them to provide drinkable water and food, this organisation makes sure that the highest number of children does not lack hygiene, is in good health and protected from any sort of external dangers.

Save the children: Founded in 1919, Save the Children is a non governmental organisation. It is the largest independent organisation for the defense of children’s rights worldwide. This organisation promotes that all children deserve to have a future. It aims to improve the life conditions of these children and that they be respected no matter where they are from. Save the Children creates many programs dedicated to helping children, especially street children and has supported until now more than 85 million of them.

At the moment, the organisation specifically takes care of areas affected by conflict, and has launched a 5 years program named “Rewrite the Future” to help 43 million of children who are in misery and without protection.

Previous attempts to solve the problem and possible solutions

In order to remedy the worrying situation of street children, numerous treaties, resolutions and aid programs have been designed since the middle of the 19th century. The most important ones are the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 and the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1924. Effective programs exist on fighting against bad living conditions of street children and trying to integrate them into society and find a home. Some of these programs are The Education Program of the UNESCO, in collaboration with UNICEF or the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), an initiative of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Despite these programs, the general solution of the states consists of placing children in orphanages, juvenile homes or in correctional facilities. Important events, such as the Jomtien Conference in 1990 in Thailand, the International Day for Street Children every 26 Novembre since 2009, World Day Against Child Labour celebrated June 12, have also contributed to the promotion of the knowledge on the situation of these children. Finally, numerous organisations or associations are focused on children and in particular street children, like the UN, UNICEF, ILO (International Labour Organisation), WHO (World Health Organisation) ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) or FAAS (Swiss Foundation of Apprentis d’Auteuil).

Solutions like education on the streets or programs of child care, have yet to be further applied in order to stop the spread of this phenomenon, which continues to grow and appear in new locations. The apprenticeship of employments is one of the effective ways to help abandoned street children to get out of the situation.

The ideal would be to educate all these children, eliminate illiteracy and find legal options so that they can earn money and support their own needs as well as those of their family. It would also be adequate to inform children about life conditions on the streets and social programs which would help them when they are confronted with domestic violence and family problems and to encourage donations and material goods.