UNICEF Warns of Deep Inequality Between Poor and Rich Children

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has reported an increase in the number of children unable to attend school, a stagnation in child marriage rates over the past decades, and the preventable deaths of millions of poor children in the next 15 years. In UNICEF's report dated July 8, the likelihood of death for poor children before the age of five is twice that of their wealthy peers. The chance that girls from poor families will be forced into child marriage is also twice as high, and currently, 124 million children are out of primary schools. The annual report from UNICEF notes some progress in combating child mortality, stating that in 129 countries, the percentage of girls and boys being sent to school has become equal. However, according to this international support fund, considering the consequences of current global upheavals, these advancements are neither sufficient nor fair. Justin Forsyth, UNICEF's Deputy Executive Director, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that some of the world's biggest challenges, such as the refugee and migrant crisis, are directly linked to economic inequality and poverty. According to Mr. Forsyth, reducing these inequalities is necessary not only for children but also to prevent future crises. The annual UNICEF report calls for increased efforts to educate children and states that improving literacy among children leads to a reduction in poverty in countries. According to UNICEF, the number of girls forced into marriage has not changed since the 1990s; these marriages affect 15 million individuals each year. The children's fund warns that if the situation continues as it is, by 2030, 69 million children will die from preventable and treatable diseases. Half of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa, where 90% of children live in extreme poverty (less than $1.90 a day). The UNICEF report estimates that there are nearly 22 million children in Iran. According to UNICEF, the Iranian government contributed $52,000 to this fund in 2015. Other aid figures include: Japan $18 million (and $93 million from national committees), Germany $9 million (and $33 million from national committees), Jordan $2 million, Afghanistan $63,000, Angola $1.6 million, Saudi Arabia $1.1 million, and the USA nearly $150 million in total.