Child toll in war ‘horrendous’

Press, 4 February 1987, Page 45

Child toll in war ‘horrendous’

NZPA-Reuter London

Hundreds of children are dying daily in southern Africa, because of war and destabilisation, a United Nations relief agency said. “For every soldier who

dies in the fighting, several children die,” said James Grant, the American executive director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef). "The toll is horrendous,” he said. He spoke at a news conference at which Unicef released a 20-page report, entitled “Children of the Front Line.” The report, which concentrates on the worst affected countries — Angola and Mozambique — said that each day more than 360 children under the age of five die in these two Countries alone. Unless urgent action is taken the total for the year will exceed the 140,000 who died last year the report said. Mr Grant said, if the situation continues, 50 per cent of the one million children, born those

two countries in 1986, will be dead or crippled before their fifth birthday. “The world community could save a sizeable proportion of these deaths if it started moving at the present time,” he said. “Drugs, vaccines, food, and, transport are all needed now.” But he said appeals for financial support for work in these countries had fallen on deaf ears. A Unicef appeal for SUS 32 million for Angola and Mozambique, launched in April, 1986, had raised only SUS4.S million. The report will be discussed by the executive board of Unicef which will meet in April and is now considering requests for help , from five southern African States — Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Angola, and Lesotho.