Kenya Needs Massive Aid Package for Orphaned AIDS Children: UNICEF

About $70 million is required annually for some 1.2 million Kenyan children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, UNICEF said Monday. "An annual subsidy of $60 per child would amount to $72 million for fostering households where a parent is dying of AIDS, to provide for children's needs and welfare, including sending them to school," said Nicholas Alipui, UNICEF's representative to Kenya. About 20 percent more orphans enrolled for basic education after the ruling National Rainbow Coalition Party introduced universal compulsory free primary education last January, resulting in an additional enrollment of more than 1 million children. "We advocate for official resources from the government budget for Kenya's orphans and channeling funds from international relief programs, including food aid directly to communities and households with the heaviest burden of orphans," said Alipui. Caring for orphaned infants by extended families is important, Alipui said, but relatives often cannot afford to support them. These subsidies could be funded from debt relief programs if Kenya managed to achieve debt cancellation, Alipui said.

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