There is an estimated 120 million children living on the streets all around the world. There are 30 million in Africa, 30 million in Asia, and 60 million in South America, and all of these children are often victims of abuse. These children are often referred to as "street children", and are defined as "minors who live and survive on the street". The word "street" is quite broad, as it includes unoccupied dwellings, wastelands, etc. The combination of political, social, and economic factors play a huge role in their situation, making it hard to narrow down specific causes. However, children that have been questioned say that they have been left on the street because of family, poverty, abuse, war, etc.
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Living on the street Street children encounter a large number of problems daily. Growing up in an environment that dangerous leads to a considerable amount of risks, and as a result, some of their rights are compromised. They often do not have access to a sufficient amount of healthy food, or any healthy food at all. Because they live on the streets, they do not make any food and do not have the money to buy any, so at times they may not have any food at all. Growth problems are a large issue for these children because they are only able to eat what and when they find it. At times, they even favor unhealthy foods like ice cream, cakes, etc. because those seem to be the only available foods, and they run the risk of malnutrition.
Due to this lack of food, their health is very vulnerable and is strongly compromised. Considering that they do not have access to clean facilities, they are often extremely dirty and could even be infested with fleas. Because of their lack of hygiene, they are also often exposed to many different diseases. Additionally, to escape some children even turn to cannabis and alcohol, and even sometimes inhale natural gas. These living conditions are extremely hard and have a negative impact on all of these children, on both physical and psychological development. |
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