TIRANA, June 2 – For International Children’s Day, the Save the Children Organization published its annual End of Childhood report, ranking Albania 77th out of the 175 countries being evaluated.
On June 1st, 27 Albanian organizations and networks rallied and signed a petition to improve the grave conditions Albanian children face in many areas.
The petition, titled “Pay Attention to Children!” , brought hundreds of children’s rights activists and protesters at one of Tirana’s main promenades.
As mentioned in the report, Albania is the first country in the Balkans for infant mortality, with approximately 13 infants dying per 1000 births.
Albanian children are also significantly anemic and malnourished, below the growth standards established by the World Health Organization.
In the same line, health centers seriously lack investments in equipment, while Roma children are denied basic health care in many instances.
The report also highlights the country’s budget for education, which is half of what EU countries’ budget. In this context, the report, says, around 20 percent of Roma children and 45 percent of disabled children in Albania drop out of school before completion.
Nearly 80 percent of Albanian children have experienced at least one form of violence, the report continues, while over 2,000 children live on the streets. Approximately 50,000 children are exploited for work, while 20 percent of children live in absolute poverty.
In addition, over 100,000 children across Albania are endangered by poverty, while also getting involved in one third of all criminal activities. According to the report, child and youth criminality has turned into a serious threat to children’s rights in Albania.
Albania’s position in relation with other countries shows there are still children in Albania who have lost and keep losing their childhood.
Nearly 8,5 percent of Albanian children remain excluded from elementary and secondary education, while 6,5 percent of teenage girls are married or living with their partner and 21.8 percent of them have children.
Save the Children urged the government to ensure no child dies from preventable causes or become subjected to violence.
“No child should be robbed of their future due to malnutrition, early forced marriage, early pregnancy or forced labor but should be enabled access to quality education and offered opportunities to develop their potentials,” the Save the Children report declared on June 1st.
