The African Network for the Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN) has warned that the soaring commodity prices are a recipe for child labor.
ANPPCAN says that children from poor households are most vulnerable to child labor, abuse, neglect, domestic violence and child trafficking because of high commodity prices.
Timothy Opobo, the Program coordinator information, research and policy advocacy is concerned that the situation may also undermine the achievement of the Millennium development goals due in 2015.
Opobo says the current food crisis is likely to limit food intake and worsen the malnutrition situation. 2.3 million Children are estimated to be chronically malnourished in the country.
He expresses fear that the crisis is likely to increase cases of children in conflict with the law, domestic violence, child labor, street children, trafficking and prostitution.
//Cue in: The current food crisis is…”//
Cue out…neglect their responsibility.”//
A survey carried out by ANPPCAN Uganda chapter early this year in Acholi sub-region found that at least every family is affected by food insecurity. 14 percent of the families sampled said they are affected by lack of food almost every month.
1.4 percent of the families are child headed. The causes of the food shortage for the households were attributed to the long drought, increasing food prices, poor storage, large family sizes and poor harvest.
//Cue in: It was found out that…”
Cue out…basic needs for the households.”//
ANPPCAN now wants government to intervene by providing social protection to the extremely vulnerable households.
It suggests the expansion of the social assistants’ grants for empowerment to provide direct cash transfers to enable poor families access health and education services.
ANPPCAN also wants government to consider reviewing the fuel prices which have in one way accelerated the rising costs of food and other essentials to save the hundreds of children who could miss out on continuing with education given the high increments.
Government blames the hike in fuel prices on the transport costs and taxes arguing that prices have increased on the world market too. However, Opobo says currently fuel prices on the world market have gone down from the 120 dollars a barrel to 97 dollars.
They want government to consider supporting families that are economically disadvantaged with income generating activities by checking corruption. There is also need to scale up the investment in nutrition and encourage districts to ensure heavy and mandatory presence of food reserves.
Outgoing Minister for Information and national guidance Kabakumba Matsiko says the government is capable of taking care of its citizens including the children. She reveals that they are seeking advice from the finance ministry whether it will be possible to decrease fuel prices considering the ingredients that form the pump prices.
###
