ETHIOPIA: Orphan crisis fuelled by AIDS and poverty

The presence of HIV/AIDS, extreme poverty and a lack of basic healthcare in Ethiopia are fuelling an orphan crisis, according to a report by the government, the UN and international aid group Save the Children.

Research shows that an estimated 4.6 million children have already been orphaned, and the government would need a monthly sum of US $115 million - almost equal to the country's annual health budget of around $140 million - to assist them.

Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Hassen Abdella, said the scale of the crisis was "tearing at the very fabric of childhood" in Ethiopia.

Theme (s): Care/Treatment - PlusNews,

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]