Some 500,000 beggars in Morocco, survey
Morocco, Culture, 1/18/2005

Some 500,000 persons are practicing beggary in Morocco in a permanent or occasional manner, says a survey on beggary among children aged below 12 in the region of Rabat.

The survey was conducted by the Moroccan League for the protection of children, the Mutual help department and the health minister. It covers three samples of children: children aged less than 7 years and accompanied by an adult, the second sample includes 230 children in the 8-12 age bracket and the third sample covered 289 persons who are not beggars.

It notes that the Moroccan government spends 37.6 million DH (US$ 4.1 million) annually in the fight against beggary and social exclusion.

According to the survey findings, adults accompanying children beggars aged below 7 are in majority women, and most of them are not single and are illiterate and only 6% have been to secondary school or more.

A rate of 75% are not-seasonal beggars who ask for charity in groups near mosques (32%), streets (29%), markets and supermarkets (16%). A large portion collects less than 50 DH (about US$ 5) a day, while 25% pocket more than 100 DH daily.

One third of these children are affected by a chronic disease, such as diabetes, hypertension, allergy, tuberculosis, anemia, rheumatism and ulcer.

Over the half of these children (56 pc) are boys, says the survey which also finds that in most cases there is a family relationship between the child beggar and the adult accompanying him. Some 15% of the surveyed children beggars said they were "rented" for this activity at a weekly amount ranging between 50 to 100DH.

Previous Stories:
  Children Code crucial to promote children's situation in Morocco, minister   (1/14/2005)
  Calls for 'adequate measures' to protect children from sexual exploitation   (12/14/2004)
  Eleven percent of Moroccan children are working, survey   (11/29/2004)

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