Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 26, 2001
In its most recent review of the affected population in the Great Lakes area, OCHA reported that heavy rains had destroyed large swathes of crops. As a result, WFP predicted that food shortages would worsen in Gikongoro province.
The worst rain-affected districts were Nshili, Kivu, Rukondo and Musebeya where over 2,000 ha of potatoes, peas, beans and maize were damaged. In other districts of the province - Kinyamakara, Karama, Karambo and Nyamagabe - "chronic food insecurity, as a result of poor soils, has exacerbated food insecurity", OCHA reported. WFP plans a three-month emergency food distribution of 13,000 mt to 267,000 drought affected-people in the south, OCHA reported.
The plight of children remains a concern for Rwanda where OCHA cited a recent study by the Association for Cooperation and Development Research that found 13 percent of all households are headed by children; some 10 years old. They have taken over families of up to six children because their parents have either died or been imprisoned, OCHA reported. Furthermore, girls are often sexually abused while boys often engage in crime.
"HIV/AIDS, the 1994 genocide and the mass incarceration that followed are cited as the main causes of this grave situation," OCHA reported.
UNDP has initiated a pilot micro-credit project to reduce the socioeconomic effect of HIV/AIDS. The money would, OCHA reported, support 45 low-income organisations run by HIV-infected or affected persons. US $60,000 has already been allocated to 19 organisations, it added.
"It is hoped that the grant system will also provide a platform for community discussion and greater analysis on how to minimize the effects of HIV/AIDS," it added, "whilst at the same time bringing together infected and non-infected individuals to help erode the perceived stigma attached to the disease and to seek common strategies on confronting it."
011026
IR011023
Copyright © 2001 - Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN). Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Integrated Regional Information Network. .
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2001. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980 – 2001. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .