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Statistics leave out the important bits - courage, hope, pain and loss. But the huge numbers show why UNICEF describes orphans in Africa as “an epic disaster”.
Now
- In sub-Saharan Africa 12 per cent of all children are orphans
- In 10 countries in the region, more than one in five 14-year-olds is an orphan
- If a household head has HIV, land under cultivation drops 53 per cent (Zambia)
- Almost 40 per cent of households with orphans cannot meet basic needs - school fees, food, medical care, clothes... (Tanzania)
- Nearly 60 per cent of orphans had been separated from their brothers and sisters (Zambia)
- About 15 per cent of orphans are 0-4 years old, 35 per cent are 5-9 years old, and 50 per cent are 10-14 years old
By 2010
- 20 million children under 15 will have lost at least one parent to HIV/AIDS
Source: Africa’s Orphaned Generations, UNICEF 2003
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