REPORT ON CHILDREN LIVING IN MOST DISADVANTAGED AREAS OF UPPER EGYPT DRAWS CALL FOR MORE RESOURCES

Dr. Erma Manoncourt, UNICEF Representative and other panel members at the survey launch

CAIRO, 31 May 2005 – A new report on the situation of children in some of the most deprived districts of Upper Egypt has drawn calls for action on their behalf. The survey -- entitled "Children in Six Districts of Upper Egypt: A Situation Analysis" -- was the product of collaboration between the Egyptian Cabinet Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC), the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) and UNICEF.

At a launch event in Cairo, attended by representatives of government agencies, NGOs, research bodies and the media, the Chairman of IDSC, Dr.Maged Osman, said that while the survey did not reflect the condition of children in the whole country, its high level of detail was uniquely valuable. He said the six districts -- in Assiut, Sohag and Qena -- were selected because they were among the most marginalized areas of the country, and were consequently focus areas of UNICEF's Programme of Cooperation with the Government..

UNICEF Egypt representative, Erma Manoncourt, praised the collaboration between IDSC, CAPMAS and UNICEF which she said had produced an excellent study. "This is not data for the sake of data: The important thing is to use the data in order to take action."

For his part, the President of CAPMAS, General Abou Bakr El Guindy, said the study did not reveal merely areas of need, but also showed the impact of government investment in Upper Egypt -- for example, the improved access to electricity and higher primary school enrolment.

Ms. Bahira Mokhtar of Al Ahram Newspaper was among media, NGOs, and other participants at the event

Presentations by the project leaders -- Dr. Bothaina El Deeb of CAPMAS and Eng. Salah Nassar of IDSC, detailed the main findings of the survey, which covers the socioeconomic environment of children in the districts of Abou Teeg and Manfalout (Assiut governorate), Dar El-Salam, West Gehina and Sakolta (Sohag), and Farshout (Qena).

The survey evaluates children's health and education status, provides insight into adolescents’ life skills and addresses issues like child labour, violence against children and female genital cutting (FGM/C) in the surveyed area. Comparisons with national averages are made wherever possible throughout the analysis, thus providing evidence about the progress or lack of it in the studied districts. Key policy and programme implications regarding the six districts are elaborated on the basis of this analysis.

Children in Six Districts of Upper Egypt : Key Findings

• 96% of households have access to electricity compared to the national average of 99%.
• The district with highest access to piped water is West Gehina (87%), while Dar El Salam is the one with the lowest access (51%).
• The education profile of the adult population varies among districts and by gender: 54% of adults in Farshout have some level of education against 33% in Dar El-Salam. Women in Dar El-Salam are the most deprived with 87% rated illiterate.
• Possession of ID cards is 99% for the entire male adult population, while for females it ranges from 28% (in Dar El Salam district) to 60% (in Farshout).
• While almost all children under 18 in the six districts have birth certificates, a total of 5,456 children do not have a birth certificate (i.e. were not registered at birth).
• Only 33% of birth deliveries in the studied districts are attended by trained medical personnel, while the national average is 69%.
• Enrolment in compulsory education varies from 96% for boys and 92% for girls in Farshout to 90% and 67% respectively in Dar El-Salam.
• A total of 11,000 boys and 25,000 girls in the 7-14 age group have never attended school – 13% of all 7-14 years-old children in the districts.
• More than 90% of adolescents know the meaning of family planning.
• 10.2% of adolescents were hit during the week preceding the survey. Abuse of boys is equally often exercised by a family member or a school teacher, whereas for girls, the abuser is usually a family member.
• 92% of adolescent girls have been circumcised and one-third of uncircumcised girls will be later circumcised.
• Support for FGM/C is somewhat lower among adolescents (no more than 75%) than among adult women (90%).

Copies of the report are available in English and Arabic

For further information:

Simon Ingram, Communication Officer, UNICEF Egypt
singram@unicef.org
Tel: (202) 5265083-87 Ext. 210 / 208

Nesrine Khaled, UNICEF Assistant Communication Officer, UNICEF Egypt
nkhaled@unicef.org
Tel: (202) 5265083-87 Ext. 206