Children represent nearly 50 percent of the Arab population
Regional, Economics, 12/23/2003

Children represent almost 50 percent of the Arab population, that is nearly 140 million, the regional bureau of the World Health organization (WHO) said, in Cairo Sunday, in a report on the situation of children in the Arab states.

Children under one year constitute 2.8 percent of the overall Arab population, points out the report that was drawn up by the Arab Council for Children and Development.

The document adds that children from 1 to less than six years represent 13,8 percent of the population in the region while the number of those aged between 6 and under 12 years is estimated at 15.7 percent.

Although the death rate of under five-children has dropped, the document notes, it exceeds 100 per 1000 in some Arab countries. However, it varies between 8.1 and 28.8 per 1000 as far as infants are concerned.

The Council's chairman prince Talal Ibn Abdel Aziz said the study, conducted by a team of Arab experts, reflects a realistic image on the situation of children in the Arab states as it was also reflected before by a report on illiteracy rate that revealed in 1999 that 48.4 percent of the Arab world population is illiterate.

Besides, the report deplored that many Arab children do not benefit from social protection, notably the impoverished and orphans, warning against the phenomenon of abandoned children and its consequences on society. Although the data on this issue is still rare, the number of abandoned children has increased, it underlined.

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