By Thelma Mejía
TEGUCIGALPA, Dec 1 1994 (IPS)

Worsening poverty in Hondurans has forced the number of street children up from 1,500 to 300,000 in the past four years, according to a report from the Coordination of Private Institutions for the Defence of Children (Coiproden).

The drastic increase is due to worsening family disintegration, unemployment, housing shortages and food insecurity, coupled with a “lack of a firm commitment” by the state to guarantee decent living conditions for the nation’s children.

The United Nations (U.N.) Children’s Rights Commission issued the government with a list of recommendations to improve conditions for children and meet their commitment to the World Agreement on Children’s rights, signed in 1990.

Olga Mendoza, head of Coiproden, explained that the U.N. demand for guaranteed access to free education was of prime importance, as 110,000 children – from a total of 2.5 million – were not registered citizens and could therefore not be accepted by schools.

The U.N. also asked for a revision of child labour laws, to reduce levels of exploitation.

The situation has also resulted in many children selling sexual favours.

Arnulfo Ochoa, who works with a private child support organisation, said that the situation of the street children is “serious, considering the number of minors who depend on this lifestyle for their survival.”

He added that the problem has been worsened by the economic adjustment programmes which started four years ago, resulting in “skyrocketing poverty.”

Official figures indicate that the number of people living under the poverty line has increased from 69 to 73 percent in the last four years.

In Tegucigalpa, Hondura’s capital, the sad reality is clearly visible in the large numbers of children standing at traffic lights and along the pavements asking passers-by for money, clothes or food.

In response to the Coiproden report, Leo Valladares, with the State Human Rights Commission, said “the government is doing what it can in a crisis-ridden country, where the street children are only one facet of a series of problems needing attention.”

Valladares said that the commission is coordinating with other government and private bodies to “unite efforts and not work in isolation”, but admitted that results thus far have been “limited.”

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