Facts

Poverty & Hunger

Poverty is rampant in Mongolia, with 36% of the population living below the poverty line. This problematic situation is compounded by worrisome – and widening – disparities between rural and urban areas. Mongolian children directly suffer the devastating consequences of the lack of resources: notably with regard to health, medical assistance and nutrition. The rapidly growing shantytown populations are the most adversely affected by these shortcomings. Today, many children are not getting the nutrition they need to survive and thrive. This is especially true for the poorest and most vulnerable children here in Mongolia.

Over 65% of households in Mongolia suffer from food insecurity. This means that thousands of Mongolian families lack access to food and other essential items. Youth are affected by Mongolia’s food insecurity. Children, especially those under age five, suffer stunting, wasting and low birth weight in households that lack access to proper nutrition.

The number of children living on the streets in Mongolia’s cities are constantly rising. Fleeing the poverty and abuse of their native regions, these children dream of employment and a better life in the cities. Sadly, the reality is far from being conducive to fulfilling even their most modest hopes. The struggle for survival is difficult, strewn with pitfalls and commonly doomed to grim failure. In the country’s capital, Ulan-Bator alone – home to an astounding 45% of the country’s population of 2.75 million – the number of children condemned to this fate has been estimated to be 400,000, or 14.5% of the entire population. The conditions of life under these circumstances are nothing short of tragic. Homeless youth struggle day and night to find food and shelter.

Adequate Medical Treatment

Mongolia experience poor availability of medical supplies and medical equipment in health facilities, substandard-quality treatments, frequent stock-outs and suboptimal prescription and use of medicines.

Child death can be prevented or treated with timely access to appropriate medical supplies and medical equipment and other health services. Less than 2% of medical supplies used in Mongolia are produced in the country and many sick kids do not have access to appropriate medical supplies and equipment in the health facilities. With public health facilities suffering chronic shortages of critical medical supplies and lack of medical equipment many children die of easily curable diseases.