UNICEF Joins G.O.B. to Address Child Poverty

According to UNICEF Country Representative Allison Parker, a child poverty study was conducted based on information that was gathered by the Statistical Institute of Belize. Tanya Santos of the Ministry of Human Development says they have been on the frontline of this issue and creating policies to address the situation.

Allison Parker

Allison Parker, UNICEF Country Representative

“UNICEF actually led the preparation of a child poverty study. This was based on an analysis that we had done with S.I.B., looking at the data they had when they released the child poverty study in 2021. We realized that the data were already looking at the 2018 information that they had and we realized an increase in child poverty in that information. So for us as UNICEF, children are our mandate and we realized that this was an opportunity to do a deep dive and zero in very specifically on what are the drivers, what the root causes are and what are the elements of deprivation for our children.”

Tanya Santos

Tanya Santos, C.E.O., Ministry of Human Development

“We are actually out there in the homes; we see firsthand the effects of poverty. We see firsthand the effects of abuse, so it comes as no surprise that the numbers are actually reflecting what we are seeing. So what is important today is that we have the different stakeholders at the table, the different ministries whose dimensions are covered in this multi-dimensional assessment who will be in a position to address the poverty that we have been seeing and that we have been putting together strategies and policies to help to alleviate that situation for our children.”