-By extreme poverty crisis in Liberia
BY: Shallon S.Gonlor
NIMBA COUNTY — Amid the World Bank recent poverty rate report on Liberia, more than a hundred and thousand women and children are increasingly affected by poverty crisis in the country.
In recent days, the World Bank launched a new report titled “Liberia Poverty Assessment 2023 Report Towards a More Inclusive Liberia”.
In the report, it describes Liberia as one of the world’s poorest countries, having experienced a volatile growth trajectory marked by challenges of fragility. Despite possessing significant natural resources such as gold, iron ore, and plenty of land, Liberia’s economic performance has been unstable, largely hindered by conflict and reliant on exports of primary commodities.
In Nimba County,, a survey by our correspondent indicates challenges, which children’s lives are overshadowed by poverty, malnutrition, and diseases, robbing them of a carefree childhood.
While some children’s vulnerable mother cannot afford to provide meal a day, stay hungry long hours, many kids even out of school, and cost-of-living crisis as well as “bed poverty” where children either sleep on the floor or share a bed with parents or siblings to sleep on old mattresses because parents cannot afford the “luxury” to purchase mattresses.
These are stories of vulnerable women and children our correspondent interviewed in part of Nimba County that faced increasing “bed poverty and cost of living” that reflect the growing levels of destitution in which low-income families are victims and seeking help.
A charity told WOMENVOICES that hundreds and thousands of women and children are often sleeping on the floor due to extreme poverty and also unable to afford a bed for comfortable night’s sleep.
Scores of women and children gave a terrible account on the deadly acute hardship being inflated on single parents and children’s lives, depressing a normal health status, lack of food and funds to get their basic needs. While other children slept on the floor, leaving them tired, anxious and finding it hard to concentrate at school.
“We are poor people and the persistent poverty is killing us daily. Our men have abandoned us without giving support to children bore by us”.
The women tone down that since ten years ago, they bought a single mattress, sharing bed with their children, stating that because of poverty, an impeding circustances that forced them to share a bed with their children.
In loud a voice, the poor single parents and their kids were often heard saying they are forced to share a bed as their children would spend the night on mattresses or blankets on the floor.
In May 2014, a charity organization, Save the Children released a major report marking the case for an ambitious but achievable road-map to end poverty in a generation. Save the Children’s ‘Framework for the Future’ offers 12 concrete goals capable of ending extreme poverty against women and children for good.
The report presents a vision for 2030 where every child has the chance not only to survive, but to thrive. Every day, 308 Liberian children under the age of five die. One in three children in Liberia is stunted. Many children don’t complete primary school, or do, but do not learn the skills they need.
Faced with two civil wars, Liberia has experienced years of poverty. With more than 80% of Liberians living in poverty, the country has been trying to revitalize its economy. Child poverty in Liberia is significant as well.
Moreover, the mortality rate for children is high. In addition to this, Liberia ranks in the bottom 10 countries on the Human Development Index. The Human Development Index considers life expectancy, education and income.
At the same time, Liberian children often do not have proper access to education and healthcare and frequently face abuse or trafficking. As a result of this, many children live on the streets.
Furthermore, 40% of children suffer from malnutrition and one in five do not receive proper nourishment. Meanwhile, about 84% of Liberians live below the international poverty line and make around $1.25 a day.
Many efforts have emerged and more is needed to address the conditions in Liberia, including child poverty.
Roughly one million Liberians mostly vulnerable women and children live in extreme poverty and 2.5 million in absolute poverty.
