Humanitarian situation report on children in Montenegro

Capital: Tirana

Area: 28,748 km2

Population: 2,873,641

Form of government: Parliamentary democracy

 

Albania, the smallest Balkan country, has played an important role in the spread of Islam in Europe. The Muslim population is predominant at 58.8%. They are followed by Christians at 6.8%, Catholics at 10%, and atheists and others at 2.5%. It is considered one of the most homogeneous countries in Europe, with non-Albanians making up less than 10% of the population. More than 97% of the population is Albanian. The rest are minorities such as Macedonians and Greeks. The official languages are Albanian and Greek.

 

The population under the age of 15 represents about 1/5 of the population. This makes Albania one of the smallest populated countries in Europe. Although the birth rate in the country is high compared to other European countries, it is still below the world average. According to 2019 data, there are 1.60 children per mother.

 

In Albania, 15 out of every 100,000 mothers die, 8 out of every 1,000 newborns, and 10 out of every 1,000 children under the age of five die. The most common diseases in the five-year age group are 37% acute respiratory infections, 17% diarrhea, and 10% cardiovascular diseases. Infant mortality rates in rural areas are twice as high as in urban areas of the country.

 

Education in Albania is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16 and is a priority for the country. The primary school enrollment rate is 93.4% and the secondary school enrollment rate is 85.2%. In general, the literacy rate among young people in the country is 99%.

 

12% of children are forced to work to support their families. According to reports from NGOs in the country, 50,000 children apply for various jobs to earn money. Unemployment is one of the main problems in the country, and 26% of young people who are actively looking for work cannot find a job.

 

According to 2018, an average of 2,500 children live on the streets and beg in Albania. In addition, according to the 2017-2018 Population and Health Survey of Albania, 48% of 5,370 children aged 2-14 were subjected to psychological or physical violence. The End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT) organization says that 88% of girls and women in Albania are victims of violence. In a study conducted by UNICEF on children’s experiences of using the Internet in Albania, it was reported that one in five children watched violent videos, 25% interacted with someone they had never met before, and 16% met face-to-face with someone they met for the first time. on the Internet.

 

There are approximately 31,000 orphaned children aged 1-14 in Albania. There are orphanages in Kavaje, Lushnje, Berat, Kursi, Fier, Shkodër, Vlore, Elbasan, Durres and Tirana. According to 2019 data, only 703 children receive residential care. Of these, 525 are placed in public or non-public institutions, 62 in centers for the development of the disabled, 41 in centers for victims of human trafficking, and 75 in centers for victims of domestic violence. In addition, 684 children with disabilities attend special schools, usually boarding schools. Bethany, one of the country's missionary institutions, continues to operate in about 30 regions. Another organization, SOS Children's Villages, has been operating in Tirana and Shkodër since 1995.

 

Sources:

Eurydice. “Single Structure Education (Integrated Primary and Lower Secondary Education”. https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/montenegro/single-structure-education-integrated-primary-and-lower-secondary-education_en. (31.10.2021).

Friends of Bijela. “About Orphanage”. https://www.telic-corp.com/friendsofbijela.com/aboutorphanage.html. (31.10.2021).

Knoema. “Montenegro”. https://knoema.com/atlas/Montenegro. (31.10.2021).

Library of Congress. “Orphans with Startling ‘Futurests’ Tendencies.” https://www.loc.gov/resource/anrc.12243/. (31.10.2021).

MICS. “Montenegro 2018 Education”. https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/media/8486/file. (31.10.2021).

Orphanages Directory. “Archive for the Montenegro Category”. https://www.orphanagedirectory.org/category/montenegro. (11.11.2021).

UNESCO Institute for Statistics. “Montenegro”. http://uis.unesco.org/en/country/me. (31.10.2021).

Worldometer. “Montenegro Population”. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/montenegro-population/. (31.10.2021).

World Population Review. “Montenegro Population 2021”. https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/montenegro-population. (31.10.2021).