Poland marks rise in child poverty
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
18.10.2012 12:30
The number of people living in extreme poverty in Poland rose by 300,000 in 2011, with children most at risk, according to the Central Statistical Office (GUS).
Immer mehr Polen im Ausland fordern polnische Sprachkurse und Polnischunterricht.Glowimages
Photo: Glowimages
According to the survey, most affected are families with three or more children.
“As the research shows, the arrival of the third child and every subsequent one increases the impoverishment of the family, and the greater the problems in securing and maintaining basic needs,” said Marek Michalak, the Polish government's Children's Ombudsman, in an interview with Polish Radio.
The definition of extreme poverty is an inability to maintain payments of bills for housing costs (electricity, gas etc.), as well as difficulties in securing basic necessities such as clothing and food.
All in all, GUS estimates that 2.5 million people in Poland qualify for this category (the overall population is 38.5 million).
Michalak acknowledged that “these days, we are perhaps not talking so much about [a lack of] food,” but stressed that the constrictions of poverty were hampering children's potential to participate in education, and society at large.
Professor Ryszard Scharfenberg from the Institute of Social Policy at Warsaw University believes that Poles should encourage the state and local authorities to introduce more extensive measures to combat extreme poverty.
“Generally speaking, the is the duty of society as a whole,” he said. (nh)