WRITTEN QUESTION E-0156/02 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. African children orphaned by AIDS.
Date: 2002-01-31
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: AIDS, Africa, child protection, children's rights, developing countries, orphan

14.11.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 277 E/23

(2002/C 277 E/023)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0156/02

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(31 January 2002)

Subject: African children orphaned by AIDS

Could the Commission estimate how many African children are believed to be orphaned by AIDS and in
what countries they are living?

Also, how many of those orphaned are housed or receiving other relief and how many have education
available?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(26 February 2002)

The Joint United Nations Programme on Aids (UNAIDS) estimates that 10,4 million children currently
under 15 years have been orphaned by the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), that is these
children have lost their mother or both parents to the epidemic. 13,2 million children have been orphaned
since the start of the epidemic and this number is forecast to more than double by 2010. In 2000 AIDS
related deaths led to an additional 2,3 million orphans with one third under five years old.

Before the advent of AIDS about 2 % of all children in developing countries were orphans but by 1999 in
some African countries more than 10 % were orphans. The orphan crisis is located mainly in Africa,
however, countries in the Caribbean and Asia will see large increases in AIDS orphans. At the end of 1999
the worst affected countries and estimated numbers of orphans were: Burkina Faso (211 000), Ethiopia
(900 000), Namibia (53 000), Nigeria (970 000), South Africa (371 000), Zambia (447 000) and Zimbabwe
(623 000).

It is very difficult to quantify how many are housed or receiving education and relief. The epidemic has
forced large numbers of children into precarious circumstances, exposing them to exploitation and abuse
and putting them at high risk of becoming infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Research
shows that orphans living with extended families or in foster care are prone to discrimination including
limited access to health, education and social services. Children suffer the trauma of caring for ill family
members and seeing parents or caregivers die. They also suffer the stigma so often associated with HIV/
AIDS. Many children are struggling to survive in child-headed households while others are forced to fend
for themselves on the streets. Consequently, there are increasing numbers of unprotected, poorly socialised
and undereducated young people. It is a reasonable assumption that most orphans warrant greater social
support.

(2002/C 277 E/024)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0179/02

by Geoffrey Van Orden (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 January 2002)

Subject: Cyprus

How much pre-accession financial assistance has been provided for Cyprus?

What elements of this financial assistance have been made available for the preparation of northern
Cyprus? Has any amount of assistance been earmarked for future projects focusing on northern Cyprus in
the event of a settlement of the Cyprus question?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(15 March 2002)

After the expiry of the 4th Financial Protocol at the end of 1999, the Council adopted the Regulation No
555/2000 of 13 March 2000 on the implementation of operations in the framework of the pre-accession
strategy for the Republic of Cyprus and the Republic of Malta, followed by the first Accession Partnership