450 pre-school Indon children die every day from malnutrition (fwd)

["M.G.G. Pillai" <pillai@mgg.pc.my>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 29 Feb 2000 07:39:10
From: tapol@gn.apc.org
Reply-To: "Conference act.indonesia" <indonesia-act@igc.org>
To: Recipients of indonesia-act <indonesia-act@igc.org>
Subject: 450 pre-school Indon children die every day from malnutrition

From: TAPOL <tapol@gn.apc.org>
Subject: 450 pre-school Indon children die every day from malnutrition

Received from Joyo Indonesian News

News Channel Asia [Singapore]
29 February 2000

Poverty still severe problem in Indonesia where millions are still starving

The Indonesian economy may be showing signs of recovery from the financial 
crisis two years ago.

However, still left behind in the turmoil created by that crisis are tens of 
millions of poor Indonesians.

In fact, the problems are still so severe, that the United Nations has agreed 
to extend by 18 months an emergency relief programme to deliver food.

Workers are returning to Jakarta's building projects, which had been left 
vacant since the economic meltdown, but the number of jobless Indonesians, 
who are unable to support their families, is still alarming.

An estimated 17 million people do not have enough to eat.

The residents of Cipinang Besar receive cheap rice subsidised by the United 
Nations.

This is the only way many can afford to feed their families.

For some locals, it is so difficult to get food that they cannot even return 
to their village.

In a shanty town, people are reduced to scavenging, or borrowing from money 
lenders to sustain their daily lives, because there are just no jobs.

The impact of the food crisis is perhaps worst on the children.

They are forced to drop out of school, to buy food for the family.

In a makeshift school, there is little prospect of success.

Seventy percent of pupils leave to find work or are too sick to continue.

According to the UN, half of all Indonesian children are malnourished.

Said Catherine Bertini, Director, World Food Programme: "Their parents don't 
have access to food and that means those children can't grow, and then, 
sometimes then are much more susceptible to disease and then they die." 

And, despite international efforts, across Indonesia, 450 pre-school children 
die every day from malnutrition. 

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TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath,
Surrey CR7 8HW, UK
Phone: 0181 771-2904   Fax: 0181 653-0322
email: tapol@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Campaigning to expose human rights violations in
Indonesia, East Timor, West Papua and Aceh

26 years - and still going strong 
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