Half of Egyptian children below poverty line: Unicef

CAIRO - Nearly half of Egypt’s children live on less than $2 a day, a new study by Unicef, the UN agency for children, said in a report published Thursday.

Despite significant progress millions of children in the North African country still face “serious deprivations”, Unicef said.

“It is important to look at how poverty is affecting their lives and how we can address it, because a child who lives in poverty rarely gets a second chance at an education or a healthy start in life,” Unicef Mideast director Sigrid Kaag said.

The report, conducted for Unicef by researchers at Cairo University working under the supervision of Egyptian Minister of State for Family and Population Moushira Khattab, found that more than 7 million Egyptian children suffer from inadequate nutrition, water and sanitation, basic health care and shelter.

Researchers also found that girls were less likely than boys to attend school or complete their education, particularly in rural areas.

Unicef, which commissioned the report as part of a study of 46 countries around the world, called on donors and governments to make children a central part of their development strategies.