Overview
In 1992, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was invited by the Kyrgyz Government to discuss potential collaboration. At that time, Kyrgyzstan had an annual inflation rate of around 855 per cent and nearly 75 per cent of the workforce was unemployed. At the same time, scarce resources and a growing debt burden were undermining social services, threatening the right of every child to basic social services. In 1994, UNICEF began to assist the government and civil society organisations to fulfill their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and to empower children to fully claim their rights. UNICEF supports activities in the following areas: mother and child health and nutrition;clean water and sanitation; quality basic education for all boys and girls; and the protection of children from violence and exploitation. It especially addresses the rights of marginalised children, children in poverty and children facing discrimination. While gross national income per capita has increased a little, Kyrgyzstan remains the second poorest country in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. More than half of the population lives in poverty and more than one quarter in extreme poverty, affecting more than 60 per cent of children under the age of 14. Children with disabilities, children living and working on the streets, children working to boost family income, institutionalised children, children using drugs and at risk of HIV/AIDS infection are some of those deprived of a proper childhood. UNICEF response: Child protection For every 1,000 children born alive in Kygyzstan, approximately 49 will not live to see their first birthday. The majority of births have complications and around 18 infants die every single day. Scarce resources from the national budget cover only half of the costs of the health sector. The impact can be seen in crumbling health centres, clinics and hospitals, which often lack the most basic equipment and supplies. UNICEF response: Health The development of around half of all children aged six months to two years is threatened by iron deficiency. Each year, around 1,000 babies face an increased risk of dying immediately before or after delivery because their mothers are suffering from severe anaemia. More than 20,000 babies are born intellectually impaired each year as a result of iodine deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency leads to the death of around 300 children each year, but many more – around one third of all children – grow up with reduced immunity, leading to frequent ill health and poor growth. UNICEF’s response: Nutrition Less than 10% of all children have access to pre-school services, down from 35% in 1990. As a result, only one child in every 20 attends pre-school. Parents of young children, especially those living in marginalised areas, no longer get the support they need to rear their children. Without the right information on early childhood care and development, parents may unwittingly harm their child’s health, growth and development. UNICEF’s response: Early Childhood Development School dropout rates are increasing, especially among girls forced into marriage. Family poverty and child labour also undermine education, particularly in the south of the country where tobacco and cotton are cultivated. Migrant children, working children and street children lack access to education. In rural areas, lack of heating means that some schools cannot be used in the winter. Most schools lack adequate sanitation. Low salaries undermine the motivation of teachers. The quality of education is lowest in rural areas where most children of school age live. UNICEF’s response: Education There are no channels whereby children can make their views heard and have them respected. Lack of knowledge and skills, combined with risky behaviour such as injecting drug use and unsafe sexual behaviour, means that young people are highly vulnerable to HIV infection. Up to 75% of youngsters smoke tobacco on a regular basis, with alcohol, tobacco and injecting drug use accounting for a major proportion of deaths among young people each year. UNICEF’s response: Adolescent’s Development and Participation Kyrgyzstan is prone to natural disasters. There are frequent landslides as a result of deforestation, heavy rains, snow melt and soil erosion, and regular floods in the autumn months. As well as causing death and injuries, these natural disasters invariably destroy homes and the services most crucial to child well-being, such as schools and health centres. Instability of the infrastructure mostly affects the wellbeing and rights of children. The country is also facing man-made problems due to political instability in Kyrgyzstan and neighbouring countries as Central Asia continues to adjust to the post-Soviet era. This raises the risk of conflicts and possible refugee flows. UNICEF’s Response: Response in Emergencies
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