Children on the front line. The impact of apartheid destabilization and warfare on children in southern and South Africa. 1989 update with new section on Namibia.

Abstract

This UNICEF report is presented in three parts: children in South Africa children in Namibia and health status statistics on child survival in South Africa. Appendices provide statistical information on the economic costs of destabilization and warfare during 1980-88 and the mortality of infants and children aged under 5 years killed by war in Angola and Mozambique during 1980-88. This report is a third edition report (1989) about the impact of the combination of war and poverty on children in southern Africa. This volume is the collaborative work of eight writers who are experts on economic medical and political affairs in southern Africa. There was careful editing that was sensitive to the concerns of international agencies but documented the facts. The mandate for UNICEF focuses on children but the solution is political and institutional. War caused an estimated death toll of 25 children every hour in southern Africa during the late 1980s. Among the nine countries of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (population of 70 million) about 750000 children died before the age of 5 years of which 20% was due to the impact of conflict. The rates of child mortality were particularly high in Mozambique and Angola. Several approaches are suggested for ameliorating the impact of war on children: protecting transportation power industry and food production and rehabilitating health education and water systems; stockpiling of emergency supplies; and the urgent need to satisfy basic needs of health nutrition clean water and the opportunity for employment particularly among displaced persons and South Africas expelled migrants. The cost is estimated at US$1-2.5 billion not including an additional $500 million for safeguarding transport and power supplies. The deaths of 150000 infants and children in southern Africa in 1988 is expected to be repeated yearly without such a commitment from the international community. Estimates of war are given for direct war damage extra defence spending higher transportation and energy costs smuggling refugees export loss boycotts loss of existing production loss of economic growth and trading arrangements. A discussion is provided on the impact of South African policies of privatization and race divisions of people land political power social services and health expenditures on child health.